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West Australian gold exploration and development company, Rox Resources Limited (“Rox” or “the Company”) (ASX: RXL), in conjunction with its joint venture partner Venus Metals Corporation (ASX: VMC), is pleased to report initial drilling results from the substantial reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling (DD) programs at the Youanmi Gold Project (OYG JV).
Highlights:
- New drilling at the emerging Midway discovery hits thick high-grade intercepts including:
- 6.76m @ 15.40g/t Au from 169.13m
- 3.73m @ 10.25g/t Au from 405.80m
- 2.86m @ 22.03g/t Au from 356.39m
- The new drilling at Midway confirms the continuity of this developing high-grade discovery, located adjacent to the Youanmi mine
- Exploration and resource drilling at the Youanmi project is proceeding ahead of schedule with 6,434m completed of the planned 23,000m drilling program
Exploration drilling has initially targeted the exciting, high-grade ‘Midway’ discovery made by the OYG JV in 2021 (ASX announcement 8 June 2022). This high-grade, multi-lode system is located just 300m from the hanging-wall of the Youanmi Main Lode and presents an excellent near mine exploration target which is open in all directions. The exceptional drilling results, coupled with the detailed structural information, will provide valuable information to expand the emerging discovery.
4,726 RC meters and 1,708 diamond meters have been completed to date from the planned 16,000 metre RC and 7,000 metre DD drill programs. Drilling is ongoing and is expected to be completed in April.
Management Comments
Rox Resources Managing Director, Mr Robert Ryan, said the Midway discovery has vast potential to grow with follow-up work underway:
“From the initial drilling campaign last year, excitement has been building for the latest drilling results at Midway and they have not disappointed, with thick, high-grade gold intercepts proving the exploration concept. Follow- up drilling is currently being planned and will commence in the coming weeks.
“The results from Midway to date have shown that this discovery has the potential to grow substantially in all directions in a corridor previously untested with drilling. The high-grade tenor of the results to date show Midway has the potential to be higher grade than the Youanmi main lode and has the potential to significantly contribute to the gold resource.
“2023 is evolving into an exciting year for the company as we continue our three pronged approach for building value for shareholders through adding ounces through exploration, increasing resource confidence through in- fill drilling and de-risking the project through feasibility work.”
Midway Exploration Drilling
Gold mineralisation at Midway is shear-zone hosted within highly altered tholeiitic and komatiitic basaltic rocks. The alteration assemblage consists of sericite, quartz, carbonate, and biotite. Gold occurs in association with pyrite and lesser arsenopyrite (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Core photos and sampling intervals of RXDD048 6.76m @ 15.40 g/t Au from 169.13m
The results to date define at least two gold lodes striking WNW and dipping towards the SW. Structural analysis of the mineralised zone (shear fabric and stretching mineral lineation) indicates that the lodes are dipping steeply towards the southwest and show a high-grade component plunging at 50 degrees to the WNW. The orientation of the new lodes is different to previously identified lodes at Youanmi which strike NW to NNW. This new orientation of mineralised structures is apparent in high resolution drone magnetic imagery and has generated several new exploration targets which will be tested by RC and DD drilling. So far the multi-lode structure has been intersected over approximately 100m strike and 300m down plunge.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
