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Augustus Minerals (ASX: AUG; “Augustus” or the “Company”) is pleased to advise that it has completed an Aboriginal Heritage survey with the Yinggarda, Baiyungu & Thalanyji combined claimant group that speak for approximately 70% of the Augustus Minerals tenure of 3,600km2.
- Aboriginal Heritage Survey successfully completed with the Yinggarda, Baiyungu and Thalanyji combined claimant group.
- Key target areas of Minnie Springs, Copper Ridge, Nick’s Bore, Crawford, Crawford South and COO Creek are cleared for exploration activities to commence.
- Mobilisation of front-end loader for drill pad preparation on track for this week.
- Drilling to commence during the month of September.
- Further Aboriginal Heritage Surveys with additional claimant groups scheduled for October.
The areas surveyed cover the main mineralised portions of the 8km x 3km long Crawford prospect containing widespread Copper and Gold anomalism.
Figure 1. Location of Crawford copper-gold prospects intersecting the Ti Tree Shear and Money Intrusion.
The large 3km long Copper anomaly at Minnie Springs adjacent to the Minga Bar fault will also be prepared ready for drilling in the coming weeks.
Figure 2. The 3km long Minnie Springs Copper – Molybdenum - Gold anomaly.
The survey, which comprised both an archaeological field survey and ethnographic consultation with authoritative knowledge holders, assessed as having no Aboriginal artefacts or cultural heritage concerns, which ground disturbing drilling activities would impact.
Next Steps to include;
- Mobilisation of a front-end loader during the coming week will allow drill pad preparation activities to commence;
- A drilling contractor has been selected and will also mobilise during September;
- It is expected that all the prospects cleared for Heritage will be systematically drilled and analysed over the next several months of the drilling campaign;
- Field mapping and rock chip sampling for further target generation work continue with extensive on the ground activities being conducted in parallel to Heritage Surveys and drilling activities; and
- Further Heritage Surveys will be conducted during October as the Augustus Minerals tenure of 3,600km2 covers four (4) Aboriginal claimant groups with additionally prospects requiring clearing.
Andrew Reid, Managing Director
“Augustus Minerals would like to thank all the Traditional Owners who participated in the Heritage Surveys over the last several weeks. A big thank you to Tarn Wiley from the Gumala Aboriginal Corporation for her tireless work in organising, executing and participating in the survey.
Getting Heritage clearance is a huge step forward and a legal requirement before conducting any ground disturbing activities.
Augustus Minerals committed to drilling activities inside Q3 of 2023, and we are pleased to be able to get on the ground now and start drill testing our high priority targets over the coming months."
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This article includes content from Augustus Minerals Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
AUG:AU
Drilling Commenced at Viani in Fiji
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Phase 1, three-hole diamond drilling program has commenced at the Viani Project, Fiji and will test for extensions to the quartz vein gold mineralisation at depth.
- Phase 1 is expected to be completed in early 2025, with plans for additional drilling under the same program dependent on the initial results
- The Viani Project (SPL1513) covers an area of approximately 200km2 and is largely underexplored.
- At the Dakuniba prospect within Viani, low sulphidation epithermal high-grade gold mineralisation has been mapped over >3km strike length.
- Diamond drilling completed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 1995 to 1997 intersected high-grade gold in low sulphidation epithermal quartz veins, including 0.6m @ 27.6 g/t Au.
Alice Queen’s Managing Director, Andrew Buxton said,
With drilling underway, Alice Queen is positioned to test the epithermal gold-style mineralisation identified in historic drilling at the Viani Project. Weather permitting, we anticipate completing the Phase 1, three-hole diamond drilling program in early 2025. Following this, our exploration team will mobilise the drill rig to the Sabeto Project in Fiji to maintain the momentum of this campaign. To deliver timely results to shareholders, we intend to accelerate the analysis of the drill core at ALS Brisbane.”
Image 1 – Diamond drilling at Viani
Details
Geology
The geology of the Viani Project (SPL 1513) comprises olivine basalts and volcaniclastics of the Natewa Volcanic Group which are intruded by andesite sills and dykes. In the 1940s, gold mineralisation was found by local prospectors near the village of Dakuniba. At Dakuniba, low sulphidation style epithermal gold occurs in quartz veins, and silicified rocks along a 3km long NE trending zone.
In 1995-1997, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) drilled six diamond holes at Dakuniba and intersected high-grade gold in chalcedonic, crustiform, colloform banded quartz veins at depths of 50m to 100m below surface (i.e. MJVFV-5 intersected 2.2m @ 11.3 g/t Au, incl 0.6m @ 27.6 g/t Au at 121m downhole). This high-grade gold mineralisation is open in all directions.
Proposed Drill program
The initial Phase 1 drill program at Viani (see Table 1) will comprise three diamond drillholes designed to test continuity to the epithermal gold mineralisation previously intersected in JICA drillhole MJVFV- 5 (2.2m @ 11.3 g/t Au) (see Figure 2). The drilling will test for extensions to the gold mineralisation at depth and along strike.
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This article includes content from Alice Queen Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
