Blackham Resources Forging Ahead With Wiluna Stage 1 Expansion

/in , /by

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Blackham Resources (ASX: BLK) is ten months into a two-year transitional period at the company’s 100 per cent-owned Matilda-Wiluna gold operation in Western Australia.

Blackham Resources operations were hindered by seasonal weather impacts, (cyclones Blake and Damien), in the first two months of the March 2020 quarter along with some equipment issues and shortages of qualified operators resulting in mining production being below plan.

In an announcement to the ASX, the company indicated its current Stage 1 Expansion activities will enable it to mitigate these disruptions by allowing high-grade stockpiles to be built.

An increased focus and expansion of underground mining will see weather becoming less of an issue.

Obviously, obstructions such as reduced mine material movement, and in-turn, gold production, will reduce the company’s FY 2020 guidance to the low end of gold production expectations, which will in turn impact unit costs.

On the up-scale, Blackham indicated that its March production has increased, which it credited to better weather conditions, new equipment being introduced and commissioned, as well as improved availability of qualified operators.

“Together these factors have seen the gold production rate returning to expected levels and this will allow a stronger operational finish to the financial year,” the company said.

“Mining and stripping development has continued in multiple mining areas, which is expected to provide both short and long-term ore supply of free milling ore into FY 2021.

“Access to high-grade free milling ore is expected to continue to increase over the coming months.”

“At the Golden Age underground mine, the transition to a new equipment supplier has resulted in a turnaround in operational performance and will allow a material uplift in mining rates to be achieved for the remainder of FY 2020 and beyond.”

Blackham’s Stage 1 Expansion activities are cracking along.

Construction of a new tailings storage facility TSF K is nearing completion.

This construction program is the first stage of construction of a ten-year capacity tailings storage facility.

The first stage is designed to hold approximately 2.5 years of tailings produced from the Wiluna processing plant.

The company has replaced an old underperforming mill motor with a new motor in early February, which has provided increased stable processing rates.

Refurbishment of the rod mill was completed and recommissioned, also in February and is now providing an approximate 20 per cent increase in grinding circuit capacity and a proportionate increase in ore throughput.

“Its benefit to the Wiluna operations will especially be seen when we begin milling the harder ore from the Williamson pit which will increase in the June quarter,” Blackham said.

Dewatering activities to enable access to the underground areas for development have been accelerated and are on target to meet the company’s Stage 1 Expansion time line.

On the exploration side, Blackham recently commenced drilling targeting high-grade shallow shoots, initially at the Essex zone.

Essex is located just 200 metres from surface, close to existing infrastructure, and requires minimal dewatering and rehabilitation to access the high-grade ore.

The program has already yielded encouraging results, which the company believes gives affirmation to its strategy of targeting the high-grade ore under the headframe at the Wiluna Mine, to underpin an expansion of reserves ahead of Stage 1 Sulphide Expansion production.

Results to date include:

WURC0804
26 metres at 15.69 grams per tonne gold from 182m; and
21m at 7.04g/t gold from 196m

WURC0823
16m at 3.72g/t gold from 254m, including 4m at 8.23g/t gold and 2m at 6.51g/t gold

WURC0824
8m at 10.10g/t gold from 225m

The company recently announced a funding package of up to $92 million.

The funding package will allow Blackham to finalise the Stage 1 Sulphide Expansion project, which it expects will result in the company producing between 100,000 ounces per annum and 120,000 ounces per annum in concentrate and gold ore.

“Within the current quarter of dramatic global change due to COVID-19, Blackham has been relentless in advancing our stated two-year transformation plan: we have added clout and expertise to our leadership team, refinanced the company and achieved fantastic initial underground exploration results, while significantly upgrading the processing capacity and development of our Wiluna gold mine,” Blackham Resources executive chairman Milan Jerkovic said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Looking ahead to Q4, we reaffirm our commitment to shareholders to deliver on our five-point strategy of transitioning to gold concentrate production, increasing operational cashflows, repairing the balance sheet, expanding gold production and advancing ‘under the headframe’ exploration, to underpin a future >250koz/pa long-life gold operation.

“We are 10 months into this two-year transformation process, and while there is still a lot of work to do, we are committed to building a safe, quality mining and exploration company, focused on creating value for Shareholders.”

 

Email: info@blackhamresources.com.au

Web: www.blackhamresources.com.au

 

New World Resources Commences Antler Drilling

/in , /by

THE DRILL SERGEANT: New World Resources (ASX: NWC) has commenced its first drilling program at the company’s Antler copper deposit in Arizona, USA.

New World Resources indicated the program of diamond core drilling is expected to comprise 12 to 16 holes for approximately 2,500 metres.

The Anlter deposit has a history of production having intermittently yielded around 70,000 tonnes of ore between 1916 and 1970.

Further exploration activity that ended around 1975 defined a non-JORC Code-compliant historical resource estimate for the remaining mineralisation of 4.66 million tonnes at 1.95 per cent copper, 4.13 per cent zinc, 0.94 per cent lead and 35.9 grams per tonne silver.

“The company’s immediate objective is to delineate robust JORC‐Code compliant Indicated Resources that can be used in mining studies to evaluate the potential to bring the Antler deposit back into production in the near‐term,” New World Resources said in its ASX announcement.

The company outlined its priorities for the upcoming drilling to be to carry out appropriate amount of confirmatory drilling within a panel of ‘high‐confidence, high‐grade mineralisation’ that sits immediately below stopes that have previously been drilled and sampled from underground; and in‐fill drill between the more widely spaced and deeper historical holes that indicate there is a thicker, high‐grade ‘plunging shoot’ down‐dip of the previous stopes.

NWC expects the drilling to be completed in 6 to 8 weeks, after which assay results are anticipated to be available approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the completion of each hole.

Representative diamond core will be collected during the drilling program for use in initial metallurgical testwork.

 

Email: info@newworldres.com

Web: www.newworldres.com

 

Mali Lithium Encounters More High-Grades at Goulamina

/in , /by

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Mali Lithium (ASX: MLL) announced more drilling results from the company’s 100 per cent-owned Goulamina lithium project in Mali, West Africa.

Mali Lithium said the drilling had demonstrated the quality of Lithium Oxide (Li2O) mineralised intercepts that are being thrown up from its recently completed RC drilling program continues to improve at the project.

Best of the latest results include:

GMRC365
72m at 1.66 per cent Li2O from 23m;

GMRC383
71m at 1.73 per cent Li2O from 126m;

GMRC378
64m at 1.85 per cent Li2O from 121m;

GMRC365
81m at 1.26 per cent Li2O from 133m;

GMRC369
48m at 1.82 per cent Li2O from 17m; and

GMRC369
49m at 1.82 per cent Li2O from 115m.

Mali Lithium explained that it has only received results for approximately 70 per cent of assays due to delays caused by the global shutdown.

However, the company expects results from the remainder of assays and the results of optical downhole surveys when they are ready.

Despite these delays, the company stressed it would make every effort to meet its previously advised timetable for an updated Mineral Resource, Ore Reserve and the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS).

To that end, data validation, and statistical analysis has now commenced, leading up to estimation of a new Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the Main, West l, West ll, Sangar l and Sangar ll domains and will be used to inform the DFS.

“Through this drilling program we continue to improve our confidence in the ore body and encounter high grade intersections particularly from the Sangar l and Sangar ll domains,” Mali Lithium managing director Chris Evans said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“We look forward to publishing the updated Mineral Resource shortly, followed by the Ore Reserve and DFS in May.”

 

Email: info@malilithium.com

Web: www.malilithium.com

 

Bellevue Gold Ready to Start Calculating Indicated Resource

/in , /by

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Bellevue Gold (ASX: BGL) completed its first phase of infill drilling at the company’s Bellevue gold project in Western Australia.

Bellevue Gold has completed a total of 94,000 metres of infill drilling at the project that it says has typically supported the existing Inferred Resource model and defined higher-grade shoots within the lode positions, analogous to the historic Bellevue mine.

The company declared it is well on track to publish a maiden Indicated Resource in the June quarter, 2020.

Bellevue currently has an Inferred Resource of 2.2 million ounces at 11.3 grams per tonne gold and the company indicated it expects the drilling, which was designed to upgrade the shallow resource areas and selected deeper lodes to the Indicated category, will result in an upgraded Resource being released once all assays have been received and resource modelling has been completed by an independent consultant.

The Indicated Resource will enable Bellevue to start economic studies and will be supplemented by subsequent infill drilling in other areas.

“With this key drilling program now completed, we can move to finalising a maiden Indicated Resource, which will in turn underpin economic studies,” Bellevue Gold managing director Steve Parsons said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“The infill drilling has demonstrated the excellent continuity of gold mineralisation as well as robust grades and widths.

“Now we have completed the first phase of infill drilling ready for the maiden Indicated Resource, two rigs will remain on site, one focused on resource growth and one on further indicated drilling.

“We are also continuing with step-out drilling with the aim of growing the global resource at Bellevue and we plan to drill two highly promising conductors identified recently at the Deacon lode.”

 

Email: admin@bellevuegold.com.au

Web: www.bellevuegold.com.au

 

Corazon Mining Kicks Off Latest Lynn Lake Drilling Campaign

/in , /by

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Corazon Mining (ASX: CZN) has commenced its next phase of drilling at the company’s Lynn Lake nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide project in Canada.

Corazon Mining intends completion of approximately 1,500 metres of diamond core drilling at high priority targets located within the historical Lynn Lake Mining Centre, as well as at regional targets at the Fraser Lake Complex, situated five kilometres south of Lynn Lake.

The drilling at Lynn Lake is aiming to define additional areas of mineralisation that the company considers to have the potential to add to the already substantial resource base.

The company’s recent exploration efforts at Lynn Lake have focused on testing the near surface expressions of historic underground mines, which operated continuously for 24 years until 1976.

Drilling undertaken in December 2019 delivered multiple high-grade nickel sulphide intersections, including:

A Orebody
37.8 metres at 1.68 per cent nickel, 0.67 per cent copper, 0.05 per cent cobalt from 10 metres, including 22.6m at 2.3 per cent nickel, 0.82 per cent copper, 0.068 per cent cobalt from 24.4m;

E Orebody
4.5m at 1.17 per cent nickel, 0.22 per cent copper, 0.029 per cent cobalt from 25m; and
4.1m at 2.09 per cent nickel, 0.57 per cent copper, 0.073 per cent cobalt from 26.9m.

“The current phase of drilling will test both the A Orebody and E Orebody areas and further define the near-surface resource potential of these targets,” Corazon Mining said in its ASX announcement.

The Fraser Lake Complex (FLC) is an intrusive mafic body situated approximately five kilometres south of the Lynn Lake Mining Centre.

Corazon has systematically explored FLC since December 2016, and believes it has the potential to host substantial nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide deposits.

“The sulphide textures and style of mineralisation observed at the FLC are analogous to that observed within the Lynn Lake Mining Centre,” the company observed.

“The recent exploration within the Mining Centre has refined targeting methodologies, particularly with respect to the processing and interpretation of geophysical datasets.

“These new processes have been applied to the FLC, resulting in a much more complete understanding of the framework of the mafic intrusion and generating new geophysical features for testing in this phase of drilling.”

 

Email: info@corazon.com.au

Web: www.corazon.com.au

 

Red 5 Makes Progress on KOTH FFS

/in , /by

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Red 5 Limited (ASX: RED) made sure everybody remains up to speed with progress of the Final Feasibility Study (FFS) that is underway at the company’s King of the Hills (KOTH) gold project in Western Australia.

Red 5 declared it has made substantial progress across all workstreams to facilitate the completion of the FFS, which is due in the September 2020 Quarter is for the proposed stand-alone integrated bulk open pit and underground mining and processing operation at King of the Hills.

The company explained that results from assaying of some 32,000 metres of historical diamond drilling core, together with results from ongoing underground drilling programs, will underpin the completion of an update to the current 3.1 million ounces Mineral Resource estimate for KOTH.

This update is now expected to be delivered earlier than forecast and reported this month.

“We have completed a significant amount of work already, with the next major deliverable to be an update to the current 3.11 million ounce Mineral Resource estimate, which we expect to be able to report this month,” Red 5 managing director Mark Williams said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“The Resource model will enable us to finalise mine planning and the completion of an updated bulk open pit and underground Ore Reserve for King of the Hills.

“We are delighted to have appointed an experienced Construction Manager who will join the team later this month.

“We are also close to finalising the infrastructure and site layout, with results from sterilisation drilling expected shortly.

“A clear pathway for project approvals has been defined with no significant hurdles expected given this is a brownfields mine development with a long operating history.

“Collectively, these programs put us well on track to complete the Final Feasibility Study for the integrated bulk open pit and underground mining operation in the September Quarter 2020.”

 

Email: info@red5limited.com

Web: www.red5limited.com

 

De Grey Mining Continues Hemi Gold Discovery Growth

/in , /by

THE DRILL SERGEANT: De Grey Mining (ASX: DEG) produced further results from the Brolga and Aquila Zones within the Hemi gold discovery, located within the company’s Pilbara gold project in Western Australia.

De Grey Mining has identified extensive sulphide mineralisation from RC and diamond drilling over 240 metres of strike length and has demonstrated additional strike potential from encouraging aircore gold results and observations along strike over approximately 600m.

The overall scale of the Brolga Zone remains open in all directions that is currently defined only by RC and diamond drilling.

The dimensions of the Brolga Zone currently stand at 240m strike by up to 200m wide by 220m below surface and remains open.

De Grey said RC drilling undertaken on section 30,640E had confirmed substantial thicknesses of gold mineralisation associated with the extensive sulphide rich mineralisation.

RC gold results on Section 30,640E include:

HEDD002
43 metres at 1.9 grams per tonne gold from 99m, including 6m at 4.3g/t gold and 4m at 5g/t gold;

36m at 3.2g/t gold from 156m, including 14m at 5.6g/t gold; and

43m at 1.9g/t gold from 34m, including 6m at 6.9g/t gold.

Drilling at the Aquila Zone has demonstrated gold potential over 800m strike, up to 50m thick and 180m depth and remains open.

RC drilling results confirm healthy gold mineralisation, including:

HERC005
51m at 2.1g/t gold from 108m, including 8m at 4.9g/t gold;

HERC006
62m at 1.4g/t gold from 59m; and

HERC009
20m at 2g/t gold from 142m, including 3m at 6.8g/t gold.

“Brolga and Aquila are developing into two very large gold systems with widths of gold mineralisation never seen before in the project area nor the Pilbara region,” De Grey Mining technical director Andy Beckwith said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“The ongoing RC and diamond drilling program aims to scope the overall scale of the mineralisation on 80m spaced sections.

“The large anomalous gold area to the north of Aquila is now our focus for aircore drilling.

“Anomalous gold occurs in every hole above the interpreted intrusion in earlier wide spaced aircore drilling and provides scope for further new parallel discoveries.”

 

Email: admin@degreymining.com.au

Web: www.degreymining.com.au

 

Saturn Metals Sees Bigger Apollo Hill Picture Developing

/in , /by

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Saturn Metals (ASX: STN) has fashioned a new geological interpretation on the company’s 100 per cent-owned Apollo Hill gold project in Western Australia.

Saturn Metals formed this new opinion on receipt of results from reverse circulation (RC) drilling around the high-grade hanging-walls at Apollo Hill.

The company’s new geological interpretation suggests a westerly-dipping structural corridor highlights additional high-grade opportunity at the Apollo Hill gold project.

Drilling is being undertaken at Apollo Hill as part of Saturn’s efforts to rapidly expand and improve the newly discovered higher-grade hanging wall zones and to grow and improve the project’s 781,000 ounce Mineral Resource.

Drilling at Apollo Hill has continued to intersect mineralisation around higher grade zones with intercepts including:

AHRC0334
17 metres at 0.84 grams per tonne gold from 146m; and

AHRC0336
7m at 1.44g/t gold from 116m.

“Every drill result is providing additional evidence of a major system with multiple opportunities and facets,” Saturn Metals managing director Ian Bamborough said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“We are particularly excited about our new interpretation, the current drilling and the opportunities it could afford.

“The bigger picture continues to emerge.

“We look forward to the ongoing results flow and to including the new information into our next resource update currently scheduled for later in 2020.”

 

Email: info@saturnmetals.com.au

Web: www.saturnmetals.com.au

 

Nexus Minerals Completes Pinnacles Scoping Study

/in , /by

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Nexus Minerals (ASX: NXM) announced positive results from an Independent Scoping Study on the company’s Pinnacles JV gold project in Western Australia.

Nexus Minerals said the independent study, conducted by mining consultants Coverdale, provides the ability for the project to advance rapidly to the commencement of a Feasibility Study (FS).

The Scoping Study focussed on the Mineral Resource currently defined within the Pinnacles JV resource area, and has confirmed Nexus’ belief in the prospectivity of the Pinnacles JV project.

The company said the study results were positive and justify Nexus committing to the next stage of exploration and development by progressing to a Feasibility Study this year.

The Feasibility Study will incorporate additional resource definition drilling, geotechnical drilling, environmental studies and metallurgical test work along with other key assessments and permitting.

“I am very pleased to have completed this Scoping Study,” Nexus Minerals managing director Andy Tudor said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“It has identified a clear pathway to seek to monetise the mineral resource with the company’s aim being to develop an open cut, followed by an underground mining operation.

“The mineral resource is robust in terms of both tonnes and particularly grade.

“These Scoping Study results, in conjunction with the current strong Australian gold price, further enhance the strength of the Pinnacle’s project, with the advantage of a pre-existing ore sales agreement with Saracen, with any ore mined to be processed through Saracen’s Carosue Dam Operation.”

Nexus Minerals’ tenement package at the Pinnacles gold project is largely underexplored.

It commences less than five kilometres to the south of, and along strike from, Saracen Mineral Holdings (ASX: SAR) Carosue Dam mining operations, and current operating Karari underground gold mine.

Nexus has a substantial land package of what in considers highly prospective geological terrane within a major regional structural corridor and is exploring for gold deposits.

The company consolidated the Wallbrook gold project by merging existing Nexus tenements with others acquired from both Saracen Mineral Holdings and Newmont Exploration, where it intends to further advance its gold exploration efforts.

 

Web: www.nexus-minerals.com

 

Moho Resources Aircore Drilling at Burracoppin

/in , /by

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Moho Resources (ASX: MOH) has commenced its first aircore drill program on the Crossroads prospect at the company’s Burracoppin gold project in Western Austrealia.

Moho Resources will drill up to 40 reconnaissance air core holes across and along the Crossroads anomaly testing targets up to 300 metres wide incorporating auger gold and arsenic anomalies.

The drilling will also test an EM anomaly the company identified from an airborne EM survey carried out in November 2018 to search for base metal mineralisation.

Moho explained the anomaly was initially viewed as being related to a regolith feature, however the company now believes it is worthy of further investigation due to its proximity to the highest arsenic value at the Crossroads prospect.

Moho believes that the auger arsenic anomaly could be related to sulphide mineralisation in the underlying bedrock.

Auger sampling has already confirmed a spatial relationship between gold and arsenic anomalism at Crossroads.

“Moho is prioritising its resources on gold projects which we believe may have the best chance of being mined profitably in the short to medium term,” Moho Resources managing director Shane Sadlier said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Given the proximity of the Burracoppin project to gold processing facilities at Edna May and Marvel Loch, we are looking forward to receiving the results from the maiden aircore drill program at the Crossroads prospect.”

 

Email: admin@mohoresources.com.au

Web: www.mohoresources.com.au