"VP - do you think that this also means they have (with just the first hole) missed the skarn deposit?"
No, not in the context of "missed" meaning a bad hole. I would say we just need a deeper hole. I would also guesstimate that the hardness and thickness of this cap contribute to Jim Bryce saying what he's seen of core shows, “…some of the most, if not THE most intense alteration I’ve seen in 33 years of doing this.”
This tells me that we could be into some ore-grade material now - which he can't say, of course - but the bonanza, a possible analog to the Copper Queen, is deeper.
"At a depth of just over 2000 feet, the company encountered a marble front along with a zone of intense propylitic alteration. Both of these phenomena are related to the presence of a large, hydrous intrusive body at depth below. In a phone call from site to the Chairman of the Board, our consulting geologist, Jim Bryce explained that this was, “…some of the most, if not THE most intense alteration I’ve seen in 33 years of doing this.” [Emphasis added.]
