- Vault Strategic Mining (TSXV:KNOX) plans a high-resolution UAV magnetic survey at its War Bond Tungsten Project in Nevada to improve geological understanding and support future drill targeting
- The survey will collect approximately 70 line-kilometres of airborne magnetic data using 25-metre flight-line spacing to identify structures and magnetic features potentially associated with tungsten mineralization
- Results will be integrated with historical and current exploration data to generate follow-up targets, although the company notes that geophysical anomalies do not necessarily indicate mineralization and require further verification
- Vault Strategic Mining stock (TSXV:KNOX) opened trading at $0.33
Vault Strategic Mining (TSXV:KNOX) has announced plans to advance a high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based airborne magnetic survey at its War Bond Tungsten Project in Nevada, a move the company says is intended to strengthen geological understanding and support future drill targeting efforts.
The proposed Drone-Mag survey will cover the War Bond Tungsten Project, which includes the historical War Bond Tungsten Mine, Tactite Tungsten Mine and Thursday Tungsten Mine in western Nevada. The survey is expected to be completed by Pioneer Exploration Consultants Ltd., a firm specializing in UAV-based geophysical surveys.
Under the current survey plan, approximately 70 line-kilometres of airborne magnetic data will be collected using 25-metre-spaced flight lines and 250-metre-spaced perpendicular tie lines. The configuration is designed to provide high-density geophysical coverage across the target area.
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“War Bond represents a compelling historical tungsten project in one of the world’s top mining jurisdictions, and our objective is to move aggressively but methodically toward drill-ready targets,” Quinn Field-Dyte, the company’s CEO said in a media release. “This planned Drone-Mag survey is designed to give us a higher-resolution subsurface dataset that can be integrated with mapping, sampling, historical workings and structural interpretation. The goal is clear: delineate priority targets and build a disciplined drill program.”
Vault said the magnetic survey is expected to help refine its geological interpretation of the property, identify structural trends and delineate magnetic features that could be associated with tungsten-bearing systems and historical mine workings. The company views the program as an important step in transitioning from historical mine-scale observations and surface exploration toward a more systematic drill-targeting approach.
The planned survey will employ a UAV-based magnetic system that includes a Blacksquare Hercules drone platform, a GEM Systems GSMP-35U potassium vapour magnetometer and GEM Systems GSM-19 Overhauser base stations. According to the company, the methodology is intended to generate high-quality magnetic data while enabling safe and efficient terrain-following flight operations.
Vault also plans to utilize publicly available LiDAR data to create digital elevation and digital surface models. These models are expected to support terrain following and obstacle avoidance during survey operations.
Upon completion of the program, expected deliverables include a survey logistics report, total field magnetic map, first vertical derivative map, analytical signal map and a processed, micro-levelled magnetic database.
The company said survey results will be integrated with existing and historical exploration data to identify targets for follow-up work. Potential next steps could include ground verification, geological mapping, sampling programs and drill planning. Vault noted, however, that geophysical anomalies alone are not necessarily indicative of mineralization and that any targets generated by the survey will require further exploration and geological confirmation.
Historical Tungsten Mining District
The War Bond claim package consists of 20 unpatented lode mining claims covering approximately 162 hectares in Nevada’s Delaware Mining District. The property encompasses the historical War Bond, Tactite and Thursday tungsten workings and mine areas.
According to publicly available records, the War Bond, Tactite, Thursday, Old Discovery and Knight claim names have historically been treated as related or overlapping property designations within the broader tungsten occurrence rather than as separate modern projects.
Historical records referenced by the company identify the War Bond Mine as a past-producing tungsten operation in Douglas County, Nevada. Related records list Tactite, Thursday, Old Discovery and Knight claims among the associated property names. Another historical record identifies Carson Tungsten Co. as the owner in 1952 and classifies the operation as a past producer.
Historical descriptions indicate that tungsten mineralization in the district occurs primarily as scheelite-bearing tactite, or skarn, developed near contacts between granitic intrusions and limestone units. Geological reports from the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology describe scheelite mineralization occurring within tactite zones near granite-limestone contacts approximately 24 kilometres southeast of Carson City.
Records for the Tactite-Thursday occurrence characterize the deposit as a tungsten skarn containing scheelite, with epidote, garnet, quartz and calcite reported as associated gangue minerals. Historical documentation describes two principal mineralized zones. A western zone reportedly contains scheelite mineralization in narrow widths grading up to 0.3 per cent tungsten trioxide (WO3), while an eastern zone reportedly hosts small mineralized shoots with grades ranging from 0.25 per cent to 0.45 per cent WO3 over widths of approximately 1.2 to 2.4 metres.
Historical production references suggest limited mining activity occurred on the property. Records indicate the War Bond Mine reported production during the 1952–1953 period, with grades described at approximately 0.3 per cent to 0.45 per cent WO3. Separate records indicate a 250-ton test lot averaging 0.3 per cent WO3 was mined from the Old Discovery East Pit.
Based on those records, the project is considered a historically explored tungsten skarn system featuring documented scheelite-bearing tactite mineralization, surface workings, historical sampling and limited historical mining activity.
Historical data not NI 43-101 compliant
Vault emphasized that the historical exploration results, sampling information and technical data associated with its properties were generated prior to the adoption of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
As a result, the historical information does not comply with current NI 43-101 requirements and should not be relied upon as a representation of current mineral resources or project economics. The company said the information remains relevant for exploration targeting, geological interpretation and the design of modern exploration programs.
Management believes the extensive historical exploration and past production provide a foundation for modern exploration using contemporary geological models, technologies and evaluation methods. However, the company cautioned that historical results, resources and economic conclusions have not been verified.
Vault said additional work, including confirmation drilling, metallurgical testing, updated technical studies and the preparation of NI 43-101-compliant mineral resource estimates and economic assessments, will be required to evaluate the project’s mineral potential and economic viability. There is no assurance that historical results will be confirmed or that the project will ultimately prove economically viable.
Vault Strategic Mining Corp. is a North American resource company focused on the acquisition and advancement of strategic and critical mineral projects located in top-tier mining jurisdictions.
Vault Strategic Mining stock (TSXV:KNOX) opened trading 3.03 per cent lower at $0.33 but has risen 137.04 per cent since the year began.
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