Blackham Resources confirms Wiluna open pit potential

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Blackham Resources (ASX: BLK) released additional assay results from the East and West Lodes at the company’s Wiluna gold project in Western Australia.

Blackham Resources said the results stem from drilling undertaken as part of a 25,000m RC and diamond drilling program to investigate open pit potential at Wiluna and support the mill expansion study.

Historical drilling targeting the West Lode intersected mineralisation between the East and West Lodes, however, many of the historical holes that intersected this central zone were drilled on two sections and limited drilling to the north and south was often only assayed on broad composite intervals.

Blackham has a re-logging and resampling program currently underway on all available historical holes, which it considers likely to have intersected this structure.

The company said that several holes drilled as part of the current campaign targeted this central lode and have returned significant intercepts including:


WURC0119
13m at 2.87 grams per tonne gold from 90m, including 3m at 9.38g/t gold;


WURC0127
21m at 1.19g/t gold from 129m (End of hole);


WURC0117
8m at 2.21g/t gold from 172m;


WURC0091
13m at 2.23g/t gold from 64m (previously reported); and


WURC0085
5m at 2.41g/t gold from 141m (previously reported).

Blackham explained that due to the limited drill testing of this zone, the orientation of mineralisation is unconfirmed at this stage, however, indications are that this zone may represent a linking structure between the East and West Lodes.

Further mineralisation was intersected on the East Lode between the North and East pits, which Blackham declared enhances the potential for the pits to be combined.

Better intercepts from the East Lode include:


WURC0127
24m at 7.73g/t gold from 95m, including 14m at 12.5g/t gold;


WURC0119
10m at 3.51g/t gold from 65m, including 2m at 13.2g/t gold;


WURC0115
9m at 1.29g/t gold from 282m;


WURC0121
12m at 1.63g/t gold from 32m;


WURC0125
14m at 1.6g/t gold from 123m;


WURC0130
3m at 7.14g/t gold from 140m; and


WURC0113
11m at 1.81g/t gold from 169m.

“Drilling has continued to intersect significant mineralisation along strike, between and beneath the East, West and North pits at shallow depths, highlighting the potential for open pit mining,” Blackham Resources said in its ASX announcement.

“The Resources at the Matilda and Wiluna gold operation currently stand at 48 million tonnes at 3.3g/t gold for 5.1 million ounces of gold (48% indicated).

“The project resources are currently being re-estimated to incorporate this additional drilling.

“An update of the East West resource model is nearing completion.

“Resource estimates are also in the process of being completed at the remaining deposits.

“There is the potential for a significant reduction in operating costs if sufficient additional open pit resources to justify a mill expansion can be identified.”

Email: info@blackhamresources.com.au

Website: www.blackhamresources.com.au