The Conversation (0)
Auric Mining Limited (ASX: AWJ) (Auric or the Company) is pleased to provide further detail following the completion of drilling at the Company’s Chalice West Project near Higginsville-Widgiemooltha, Western Australia. The drilling program was completed on 22 November 2022 with 227 aircore drill holes drilled for 7,227m (Figure 1).
Highlights of this Announcement
- Highly anomalous one-metre regolith interval at 1.1 wt.% TREO (22% MREO) with only 139 ppm phosphorous.
- One 17-metre interval from 4 metre below surface at 1,699 ppm TREO (21% MREO).
- Magnetic granite from bottom-of-hole samples has up to 1,595 ppm TREO (28% MREO).
- Anomalous REE values coincide with linear 7 kilometre long NW-trending magnetic feature.
Onsite pXRF testing for nickel and proxies for lithium and rare earth elements (REE) was used as an objective basis for selective (1 m) sampling and associated multielement laboratory analyses. REE analyses have been returned for 95 bottom- of-hole (BOH) composite samples and 178 1-m interval regolith samples for 19 holes. Analyses are pending for a further 108 BOH samples and 193 1-m interval samples. Several distinctly anomalous intervals for REE have been returned in the results received to date and are described in this announcement.
The current results reveal anomalous REE values from regolith and BOH samples with up to 1.1 wt.% TREO (total rare earth oxide). All analyses were performed using 4- acid-digest in order to include nickel, lithium, REE and other metals in the analysis. This method also minimises the digestion of acid-resistant REE minerals such as monazite, that are unlikely to be recovered from REE clays.
Figure 1. Chalice West aircore drill holes at completion of program
Program and Results-to-Date
Hole AAC0279 has a 17-m interval of 1,699 ppm TREO from 4 m below surface with a weighted average MREO (magnetic REO) proportion of 21%. This hole coincides with a deeper weathering profile compared to adjacent holes at the eastern flank of a round ~700 m diameter magnetic feature (Figure 2). On the western flank of the local magnetic anomaly in the deeper weathered sections, hole AAC0286 has 13 m @ 1,351 ppm TREO (20% MREO) from 13 m and hole AAC0285 has 8 m @ 885 ppm TREO (22% MREO) from 13 m (Figure 3). Holes collared above the round magnetic feature (AAC0280–AAC0284) largely drilled transported material and had blade refusal depths of 2–10 m (Figure 3). Refer to Appendix A for a table of significant results received to date and detail on intercept aggregation methods.
The high-grade interval (1.1. wt.% TREO) in hole AAC0239 (42–43 m) is unlikely “ionic clay” due to low Al (8.1 wt.%) and K (0.38 wt.%) concentrations and limited adsorption capacity of clays in general. The same applies to the high-grade interval in hole AAC0279 (17–18 m) with 0.49 wt.% TREO and low Al (1.8 wt.%) and K (0.07 wt.%) concentrations. However, for both intervals P values are below 170 ppm, suggesting that the acid-resistant mineral monazite (REEPO4) is not responsible for the reported REE grades. Metallurgical tests and petrographic studies will determine the leachability and nature of the high-grade REE mineralisation.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Auric Mining, 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.
AWJ:AU
High grade Assay Results Continue at Youanmi
- The latest batch of assays have been received from the 11,000m drilling program (both diamond core and reverse circulation) at the high gold-grade Youanmi Gold Project, located centrally in Western Australia’s prolific gold fields
- The recently-completed infill/exploration program aimed to improve resource confidence and open up corridors for resource growth; to underpin the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS), and, additionally, provide sample material for ongoing metallurgical optimisation test-work for the DFS program
- Latest highlights from the program include:
- RXDD131: 4.38m @ 19.07 g/t Au from 387.98m,
- incl. 1.73m @ 41.43 g/t Au from 389.96m
- RXDD119: 4.56m @ 14.60 g/t Au from 220.64m
- RXDD115: 2.99m @ 21.11 g/t Au from 249.88m
- RXDD119: 4.0m @ 7.37 g/t Au from 162.0m
- RXDD132: 7.19m @ 3.90 g/t Au from 263.61m
- RXDD133: 2.83m @ 6.53 g/t Au from 431.00m
- RXDD128: 3.82m @ 4.51 g/t Au from 364.59m,
- incl. 1.73m @ 8.22 g/t Au from 364.59m
- incl. 1.73m @ 8.22 g/t Au from 364.59m
- RXDD122: 0.95m @ 13.50 g/t Au from 204.44m
- §These results further demonstrate the continuity of high- grade gold mineralisation along the Youanmi greenstone belt belt, and the potential for resource growth both at depth and along-strike, with discovery potential to the south
- 35,000m Step-up drill campaign well underway with the plan to bring forward ounces and increase the mine plan
The program focused on converting Inferred stopes at Pollard, United North and Youanmi Main to higher confidence Indicated classification and providing material for metallurgical testing for the upcoming Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) – on track for H2 CY25.
This final consignment of diamond assay results are the fourth batch of assays results returned from the drill program and have been entirely drilled from the Pollard, Youanmi and United North areas (Figure 1).
Rox Resources’ Chief Executive Officer, Phillip Wilding, commented:
“It’s pleasing to round out the 11,000m RD and DD drilling program with another batch of excellent intercepts.
“More importantly, the program has significantly improved our knowledge of the high grade and underexplored Youanmi ore system, and shown that mineralisation remains open at depth.
“Next steps are to convert Inferred areas of the Resource to the higher confidence Indicated classification, and finalise key intercepts of sample material for metallurgical test work to feed into the Youanmi DFS.
“We are excited to have commenced the 35,000m Step-up program to potentially bring forward ounces in the mine plan and significantly increase the size of the Pollard ore zone.”
Youanmi Major Growth Drill program
Resource drilling has focused on converting selected Inferred stopes in the current Mineral Resource of 16.2Mt at 4.4g/t Au for 2.3Moz (Indicated: 10.7Mt at 4.5g/t Au for 1.6 Moz : Inferred 5.5Mt at 4.2g/t Au for 0.7 Moz) 1 to higher confidence Indicated classification at Pollard, United North and Youanmi Main as shown in plan on Figure 1. The drilling has also provided both sample material for metallurgical testing and valuable geological data for the pending Definitive Feasibility Study (“DFS”) planned for second half of 2025.
Figure 1: Plan view of the Youanmi Gold Project featuring drill hole collar locations and 2024 Resource outline overprinted on aerial photography
Outside of the immediate resource area, drilling was also conducted on near-mine exploration and focused on the Youanmi South prospect area, or Paddy’s Lode, first reporting high-grade intercepts in 20232. The drilling at Paddy’s has complimented the Company’s exploration strategy moving south along the Main Lode Shear Zone (MLSZ) and adding additional gold ounces to the Resource. Youanmi South has the potential to grow the Resource above the 103kozpa Production Target outlined in the recently completed Pre-Feasibility Study (“PFS”)3.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Rox Resources 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.
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.
Click here for the full ASX Release
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.
