Bemetals and the Kato Gold Project: A New Chapter in Japan’s Gold Mining History

Japan’s history of gold and silver mining is as rich as the precious metals themselves. The country’s mining industry dates back to the 16th century, with the Sado and Toi gold mines among the most notable. Today, Japan’s mining landscape is evolving, with junior mining companies like Bemetals Corp leading the way.

Bemetals Corp is focused on acquiring new, high-grade base and precious metal development assets like its Kato gold-silver project in Hokkaido, Japan. This project is part of a portfolio of advanced and early-stage gold exploration projects in Japan that Bemetals acquired in April 2021.

The Kato Gold Project, formerly known as the Seta River Project, is located in Hokkaido and covers close to 2,000 hectares. The project was drilled by the Japanese government’s Metal Mining Agency of Japan (MMAJ) in the 1990s.  

Drill results included high-grade gold with 17.5 metres grading 8.15 grams per tonne gold in hole 5MAHB-2 and 18.65 metres grading 5.01 g/t Au in hole 7MAHB-1.

The Kato project’s geography is particularly interesting. The property is situated in an area known to have hosted numerous historical high-grade mines, including the currently operating Hishikari Gold Mine on Kyushu, which produced 7.9 million ounces of gold from 1985-2020 at an average grade of 30-40 grams per tonne gold. The Kato project is not the only gold mine in the vicinity. Other notable projects include the Todoroki and Konomai Projects on Hokkaido, and the Tashiro and Hokusatu Projects on Kyushu.

In terms of gold and silver grades, the Kato project has consistently delivered high-grade results. 

The project’s gold grades have ranged from 1.18 g/t to 9.65 g/t, while silver grades have ranged from 5.4 g/t to 91.7 g/t. These results underscore the project’s potential as a significant source of gold and silver.

Recent drilling results from the Kato project have been promising. One of the highlights includes drill hole KT23-19, which returned 5.60 metres grading 3.29 g/t Au and 7.9 g/t Ag. Another notable result came from drill hole KT23-20, which returned 13.55 metres grading 1.19 g/t Au and 18.32 g/t Ag.

John Wilton, President and CEO of Bemetals, commented on the recent drilling results, stating, “This batch of drilling results includes intersections from both the Seta and Kamitake veins at our Kato Project in Hokkaido, Japan. Combining these results with existing data has motivated targets with potential to further extend the higher-grade zones within the Seta Vein. Drill testing of these high-grade target zones is in progress.”

The next phase of exploration at the Kato project is already in the pipeline. High-grade surface samples taken in 2021 have indicated the presence of unexplored ‘high-level’ veins covered by post-mineralization volcanic units. Several unexplored or only partially explored veins have been identified on the property. 

Bemetals Corp has planned an initial drilling phase of 1,000 meters for mid-2023. 

The focus will be on extending the Seta and the newly discovered Kamitake Vein to the southeast along the strike. The historical drilling largely intersected a lower grade zone at shallow depths. Increased gold grade continuity and tenor are expected further at depth. This systematic approach to exploration is expected to further unlock the potential of the Kato project and contribute value to its shareholders.