January 10, 2022, Vancouver, British Columbia – Happy Creek Minerals Ltd. (TSX-V: HPY) (“Happy Creek” or the “Company”) is pleased to report assays from the 2021 drill and rock sampling program on the road-accessible Fox Tungsten project, located near the community of 100 Mile House in southern British Columbia.
A total of 2052.7 m were drilled in twelve diamond drill holes. The 2021 drill pattern was designed to in-fill and step-out from previous promising results in three portions of the 3-km-long Nightcrawler – Creek zone, and to attain a pierce-point spacing of approximately 75 m or less to allow for future resource estimation.
The 2021 drilling was successful in demonstrating the continuity of moderate- to high-grade tungsten skarn (calc-silicate) mineralization in the northern Nightcrawler, southern Nightcrawler South and eastern Creek zones, and in showing that these zones remain open for expansion in several directions. In addition, the drilling confirmed two to six stacked, mineralized horizons are present in Nightcrawler area.
Five kilometres to the north (Figure 1), detailed prospecting and chip sampling along strike from the RC Zone deposit returned high-grade assays, showing that there is good potential for expansion of the high-grade tungsten deposit into undrilled areas beyond the limits of the current resource*.
Drilling Results
Assay and survey results are included in Tables 1 and 2, in plan view on Figure 2, and in cross-sections on Figure 3 and 4.
In the northern Nightcrawler zone seven holes were drilled to infill and expand the area of near-surface tungsten mineralization. The best 2021 results are hole F21-09 which intersected 6.7 m grading 0.43% WO3, including 1.2 m grading 1.83% WO3 and hole F21-11, which intersected 1.2 m grading 0.67% WO3. The mineralized skarn horizons are now confirmed to dip shallowly south over an area of approximately 250 m east-west by 200 m on the dip. The host rocks dip south at 20 to 25 degrees. This zone has now been intersected in a total of ten holes and remains open up-dip to the north, and down-dip to the south.
Previous drilling in the southern Nightcrawler zone includes a line of four holes drilled between 2007 and 2015, all of which intersected multiple zones of gently south-dipping tungsten mineralization at shallow depths (e.g. Hole 07F-05 intersected 2 m grading 0.75%, 3 m grading 0.34% and 0.5 m grading 1.8% WO3). 2021 hole F21-05 was collared approximately 50 m west of 07F-05 and intersected six stacked mineralized skarn horizons between 15.54 and 178.14 m down the hole, the best the best of which is 1.5 m grading 0.43 WO3.
Four holes were drilled in the eastern Creek zone, F21-01 to -04, as step-outs around 2020 hole F20-06 which intersected 3.38 m grading 1.08% WO3 within a thick section of calc silicate (skarn) alteration (see Happy Creek News Release of January 28, 2021). The 2021 holes successfully demonstrated that the skarn-hosted tungsten mineralization extends in the up-dip direction in hole F21-02 (1.0 m grading 0.74% WO3), in the down-dip direction in hole F21-03 (2.2 m grading 0.37% WO3) and to the northwest in hole F21-04 (1.0 m grading 0.49% WO3). This near-surface mineralized zone remains open in several directions, including up-dip to surface to the north.
Prospecting Results
During the summer and fall of 2021, the Company conducted prospecting, geological studies and chip sampling in the area of the RC zone deposit, in the Eastern Creek zone target of the Nightcrawler – Creek Zone, and on the west side of the Fox property (Table 3).
In the vicinity of the RC zone deposit, geological mapping, ultraviolet lamp prospecting, hand trenching, and chip-chisel sampling was performed on new exposures along strike to the north and south. Most of the outcrop in this area is covered by vegetation and talus making it challenging to expose, observe and sample the full thickness of mineralized outcrops. As such, reported sample widths are interpreted to be only a minimum. To the south of the RC deposit and towards the BN deposit, chip samples of new surface exposures 175 and 350 m south of the nearest drill hole returned 0.73% WO3 over 0.90 m, 2.32% WO3 over 1.50 m, 1.69% WO3 over 0.3 m, and 0.62% WO3 over 0.3 m. To the north of the RC deposit, chip samples returned 2.59% WO3 over 1.4 m, 1.16% WO3 over 0.60 m in areas with wide-spaced drill holes. These new outcrop discoveries will help guide future mechanized trenching and drilling to expand the current resource*.
New trench samples along the east side of the RC deposit, where it daylights in steep bluffs, will complement the current resource model* by allowing the connection of mineralized zones in drill holes to mineralized zones at surface in several areas. Chip samples in this area returned 0.73% WO3 over 0.8 m, 0.39% WO3 over 1.5 m, and 0.90% WO3 over 3.0 m, with mineralized intervals open in width.
In the Eastern Creek portion of the Nightcrawler – Creek zone, prospecting was done up-dip of the presumed surface projection of high-grade mineralization intersected by 2020 and 2021 drill holes. The prospecting revealed tungsten-bearing skarn boulders and outcrop of monzogranite-alaskite sills over approximately 100 m. Approximately 75% of skarn boulders in this area were observed to contain scheelite under UV light. Grab samples of three boulders returned 0.57%, 1.19% and 2.07% WO3 respectively. This newly located boulder field supports the potential for additional high-grade, near-surface mineralization in the Eastern Creek portion of the Nightcrawler – Creek zone.
On the western side of the Fox property, multiple prospecting traverses were performed in areas of recent and on-going logging activity. The Fox West area has extensive till cover, however, one skarn boulder was located that returned 3.58% WO3. At higher elevations above the September Zone, large, angular sub-crop and boulders of marble and skarn occur near the contact with monzogranite. Chips from six different boulders returned anomalous tungsten values with up to 0.25% WO3. These results continue to point to the western side of Fox has potential for discovery of tungsten deposits. One traverse across a portion of the monzogranite stock identified abundant quartz veins with molybdenite and returned values of 0.12% molybdenum and 0.188 g/t gold.
*For details of the current 43-101 resource estimate for the RC, BN and BK deposits at Fox see Happy Creek news release dated February 27, 2018, and the April 9, 2018, technical report, filed under the Company’s profile on SEDAR, dated April 9, 2018 and entitled “NI 43-101 Resource Update For the RC and BN Zones and Maiden Resource Estimate for the BK Zone of the Fox Tungsten Project, British Columbia, by Pierre Desautels, P.Geo, AGP Mining Consultants Inc., and Paul Berndt, FAusIMM”.
Table 1. Tungsten Intercepts for 2021 Drill Holes in the Nightcrawler – Creek Zone, Fox Project.
| Hole # | Target Zone | From (m) | To (m) | Interval (m) | WO3 (%) |
| F21-01 | Eastern Creek | No Significant Values | |||
| F21-02 | Eastern Creek | 128.00 | 129.00 | 1.00 | 0.74 |
| F21-03 | Eastern Creek | 133.00 | 135.20 | 2.20 | 0.37 |
| Incl. | 133.00 | 134.00 | 1.00 | 0.53 | |
| F21-04 | Eastern Creek | 132.15 | 133.15 | 1.00 | 0.49 |
| F21-05 | Southern Nightcrawler | 15.54 | 16.50 | 0.96 | 0.20 |
| F21-05 | 35.50 | 37.00 | 1.50 | 0.43 | |
| F21-05 | 54.90 | 56.20 | 1.30 | 0.29 | |
| F21-05 | 141.00 | 142.00 | 1.00 | 0.13 | |
| F21-05 | 158.00 | 160.00 | 2.00 | 0.08 | |
| F21-05 | 176.20 | 178.14 | 1.94 | 0.18 | |
| F21-06 | Northern Nightcrawler | 72.04 | 75.00 | 2.96 | 0.08 |
| F21-06 | 90.65 | 92.07 | 1.42 | 0.18 | |
| F21-07 | Northern Nightcrawler | 88.18 | 90.96 | 2.78 | 0.19 |
| F21-07 | 92.00 | 94.30 | 2.30 | 0.08 | |
| F21-07 | 97.26 | 101.10 | 3.84 | 0.32 | |
| F21-08 | Northern Nightcrawler | 62.89 | 68.20 | 5.31 | 0.11 |
| Incl. | 62.89 | 64.60 | 1.71 | 0.14 | |
| F21-08 | 95.65 | 97.00 | 1.35 | 0.29 | |
| F21-09 | Northern Nightcrawler | 38.00 | 40.00 | 2.00 | 0.20 |
| F21-09 | 118.20 | 122.50 | 4.30 | 0.08 | |
| F21-09 | 137.30 | 144.00 | 6.70 | 0.43 | |
| Incl. | 142.80 | 144.00 | 1.20 | 1.83 | |
| F21-10 | Northern Nightcrawler | 140.00 | 142.20 | 2.20 | 0.26 |
| F21-10 | 151.50 | 152.60 | 1.10 | 0.13 | |
| F21-11 | Northern Nightcrawler | 84.75 | 85.95 | 1.20 | 0.67 |
| F21-12 | Northern Nightcrawler | 92.65 | 94.30 | 1.65 | 0.08 |
Note: The true width of mineralized intervals is estimated to be 70 to 90% of intersected width.
Table 2. 2021 Nightcrawler – Creek Diamond Drill Holes Survey, Fox Project.
| Hole | Dip | Azimuth | Easting | Northing | Collar Elevation (m) | Depth (m) |
| F21-01 | -45 | 0 | 671976 | 5769465 | 1225 | 251.76 |
| F21-02 | -45 | 0 | 671913 | 5769541 | 1200 | 184.71 |
| F21-03 | -90 | 0 | 671913 | 5769540 | 1200 | 227.38 |
| F21-04 | -60 | 310 | 671912 | 5769542 | 1200 | 155.75 |
| F21-05 | -65 | 0 | 670960 | 5769170 | 1267 | 260.91 |
| F21-06 | -55 | 0 | 671353 | 5769450 | 1208 | 107.80 |
| F21-07 | -80 | 180 | 671353 | 5769452 | 1208 | 120.70 |
| F21-08 | -80 | 180 | 671450 | 5769470 | 1214 | 126.80 |
| F21-09 | -65 | 25 | 671406 | 5769343 | 1227 | 184.71 |
| F21-10 | -90 | 0 | 671406 | 5769343 | 1227 | 206.04 |
| F21-11 | -50 | 0 | 671250 | 5769434 | 1217 | 111.56 |
| F21-12 | -80 | 180 | 671250 | 5769437 | 1217 | 114.60 |
Table 3. 2021 Fox Prospecting Results.
| Sample # | Zone | Sample Type | Width (m) | WO3 (%) | Other Elements |
| F21DB-R-2 | Eastern Creek | Boulder | 0.57 | ||
| F21DB-R-3 | Eastern Creek | Boulder | 1.19 | ||
| F21BK-R-3 | Eastern Creek | Boulder | 2.07 | ||
| F21DB-8 | RC North | Chip | 1.00 | 0.06 | |
| F21DB-9 | RC North | Chip | 0.80 | 0.73 | |
| F21DB-10 | RC North | Chip | 1.50 | 0.39 | |
| F21DB-11 | RC North | Chip | 0.60 | 1.16 | |
| F21DB-12 | RC North | Boulder | 0.09 | ||
| F21DB-13 | RC North | Chip | 1.40 | 2.59 | |
| F21BK-2 | RC North | Chip | 1.00 | 0.03 | |
| F21BK-6 | RC North | Chip | 3.00 | 0.90 | |
| F21DB-4 | RC South | Chip | 0.30 | 1.69 | |
| F21DB-5 | RC South | Chip | 0.90 | 0.73 | |
| F21DB-6 | RC South | Chip | 1.50 | 2.32 | |
| F21BK-2 | RC South | Chip | 0.55 | 0.03 | |
| F21DB-7 | RC South | Chip | 0.30 | 0.62 | |
| F21BK-3 | RC South | Chip | 1.00 | 0.01 | |
| F21BK-4 | RC South | Chip | 0.80 | 0.25 | |
| F21BK-5 | RC South | Chip | 0.20 | 0.19 | |
| F21BK-R-1 | September | Grab | 0.01 | ||
| F21BK-R-2 | September | Boulder | 0.03 | ||
| F21BK-R-4 | September | Boulder | 0.25 | ||
| F21BK-7 | September | Chip | 0.30 | 1240 ppm Mo | |
| F21BK-8 | September | Chip | 0.25 | 897 ppm Mo, 0.188 g/t Au | |
| F21DB-R-1 | West | Boulder | 3.58 |
Mr. Peter Hughes, President and CEO of the Company commented “Management is very pleased with the results from the 2021 exploration program at Fox Tungsten. Drilling hit tungsten mineralization in eleven of twelve holes that are further defining a continuous mineralized zone at Nightcrawler and prospecting and geology continues to identify new areas of mineralization that could potentially expand the size of the existing resource. The Company has plenty of well-defined drill targets, exciting new prospects and look forward to executing additional large-scale drill and exploration programs in the future”.
About Happy Creek Minerals Ltd.
Happy Creek is focused on making new discoveries and building resources in proximity to infrastructure on its 100-percent-owned portfolio of diversified metals projects in British Columbia. The Company’s Management, Board of Directors and Technical Advisors have solid expertise and depth in the mineral resource sector and capital markets.
About Fox Tungsten
Fox Tungsten is a district-scale, high-grade critical mineral project that Happy Creek has advanced from initial discovery to the drill definition stage. The project is host to the RC, BN and RC deposits with current mineral resources (see Happy Creek news release dated Feb. 27, 2018, and the April 9, 2018, technical report filed under the company’s profile on SEDAR for details) as well as the Nightcrawler – Creek, Discovery, and South Grid zones which have significant intercepts of tungsten mineralization.
About Tungsten
Tungsten is a rare, heavy and hard element used mainly in cemented tungsten carbide and high-speed alloy cutting tools and other high-tech applications. Tungsten has been declared a “critical mineral” by governments in Canada, USA and EU. Currently 85% of world production comes from China. More information on the Company’s projects can be found on the Company’s website at www.happycreekminerals.com
