Kootenay president and CEO James McDonald said: "The high-grade intercept in hole CDH-19-030 represents an exciting new style of breccia and stockwork mineralisation identifying a new and potentially wide-spread target area. It is about 700m away from the historically mined F Vein within a completely different vein. Similar breccia mineralisation was seen in CDH-19-031 about 200m away and maybe the same mineral zone. Determining if this is the case will be one of the priorities for the next phase of drilling in the new year."

The holes drilled targeted the J and E vein structures along with numerous other smaller veins and splays. This area, in general, is characterised by wide zones of quartz veinlet stock working, brecciation and strong oxidation and argillic alteration. The area has the character of the upper parts of the epithermal system, which if correct indicates stronger grades may be encountered at depth. This zonation can be seen already as silver grades increase from a 5 to 9gpt range at surface to a 26 to 180gpt range with a depth increase of 50 to 75m. Silver grade increases again from a 26 to 176gpt silver range in hole CDH-19-029 to 200 to 980gpt in hole CDH-19-030. Brecciation in hole CDH-19-030 shows very good grade potential in a new style of mineralisation from the formal veins mined historically. The trend opens up greater potential for new discoveries while follow up drilling is required to determine the extent and continuity of mineralisation.

Drilling has concluded for the year with 41 holes completed for a total of 6,853m of drilling.