Aben Resources (TSX-V: ABN)(OTC: ABNAF) CEO Jim Pettit on Setting-the-Table for Drilling at the Forrest Kerr Gold Project in British Columbia’s Famed Golden Triangle
Gerardo Del Real: This is Gerardo Del Real with Resource Stock Digest. Joining me today is the president & CEO of Aben Resources — Mr. Jim Pettit. Jim, good to have you back on. How are you?
Jim Pettit: Hey, thanks a lot. I'm doing really good.
Gerardo Del Real: Well, you had some news today. You commenced the 2021 reconnaissance and fieldwork at the Forrest Kerr Project, and you closed the financing. I have to ask you — with the forest fires and everything that's going on — how are things in that part of the world [British Columbia’s Golden Triangle]?
Jim Pettit: Well, actually, that part of the world is pretty good in terms of lack of forest fires. It's generally the southern part of BC that is really bad. But up north, it's been good so far. Let's just keep our fingers crossed because part of the story is the new ground I picked up in Red Lake.
And no sooner than I staked the new ground… you can't go there yet… it’s completely getting burned out and all of the aircraft were grounded. Helicopters and planes couldn't get our airborne surveys done.
Anyways, back to Forrest Kerr. Yeah, we did a little financing. It's a Canadian flow-through financing so it's not very big. But it's doing the program. The guys are up there working on it right now. It's funding it. It's basically field work. I don't think we'll be drilling this year unless we come up with something pretty spectacular because it's hard to get rigs right now.
They're going to be going into areas; they're going to be using a lot of helicopter recon and dropping into areas they want to sample. And then, get back in the helicopter and go in another area. There's areas up north of where we've been working for the last four years that we really are interested in. And from the very first year, 2016, there were some pretty interesting samples taken out of there. So we're going back in and doing that.
And then, at the opposite end of the property… because it's a very long, narrow property… it runs for about 50 kilometers… down at the southern end, there's some areas there that we really want to get to as well… and that's where you've got a lot of big regional faults intersecting.
So there's some distinct interest on our part based on our data compilation and the studies we've been doing. And it's an ongoing process. And if they come up with some good stuff — we're going to look at it. I'm not going to promise anything in terms of drilling this year… but for sure for next year.
And in the meantime, we'll move on to Red Lake. I've got some pretty good ground there. As soon as the fires calm down a bit — and I think they are in the process right now — we can get airborne and get our geophysics done tout suite and get a field crew in there. And then, the thing about Red Lake is you can drill… you can drill all of the time.
Gerardo Del Real: Right.
Jim Pettit: Yeah and that was the purpose. And then, there's some other things I'm looking at as well. But that's a good start, I think, and I'm actually excited. I'm excited to be back in Red Lake because my background was early-days of Red Lake.
Gerardo Del Real: Right.
Jim Pettit: Yeah, we were there for years and years and years.
Gerardo Del Real: So the 2021 program, just to be clear, at Forrest Kerr will consist of — the way that I understand it — mostly mapping and sampling, correct? You're trying to generate better targets… targets that you haven't been able to drill into?
Jim Pettit: Yeah, we've got some distinct areas we want to get to and go test. And these are areas that had a quick run-over the very first year we went up there — 2016. And there's some interesting things we want to go back and have a better look at. A little more time involved. We can do that now.
And then, at the south end, you've got some very interesting geology… these are the two senior geos that are doing this work, and they can fly in there and spend some time. And then, we need to get the samples assayed tout suite and then carry on. And who knows… this is how we found the high-grade zone in the Boundary.
Gerardo Del Real: Right, and that's where I was headed. I know shareholders always want to see a drill-bit turning. But it's so critical to generate the targets and do the quality work that goes into having a higher hit-rate, right?
Jim Pettit: Oh yeah, absolutely. You have to. Otherwise, that's a lot of money that could be wasted.
Gerardo Del Real: Good. So it sounds like 2021 is a year of setting-the-table for early-2022 which should be pretty drill-heavy.
Jim Pettit: I am hoping that way. Yeah, I'm hoping… I'm always hopeful!
Gerardo Del Real: Sounds good, Jim. Anything else you want to add to that?
Jim Pettit: No. I think we're good.
Gerardo Del Real: Always a pleasure, Jim. Thanks for coming on… look forward to chatting again soon!
Jim Pettit: Thanks a lot, Gerardo!
Gerardo Del Real: Alright, bye now.
Jim Pettit: Yep, bye-bye.