Pioneer Resources pumps up lithium portfolio

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Pioneer Resources (ASX: PIO) has added to its recent lithium acquisitions by entering into an Option Agreement to acquire a 90 per cent interest in the Donnelly lithium project, located in the Greenbushes Mineral Field, in south-west Western Australia.

The Donnelly project extends from 12km to 60km southwest of the world-class Greenbushes lithium mine, and comprises two exploration licence applications (E70/4826 and E70/4829) covering a total area of approximately 220 square kilometres.

Pioneer considers the Donnelly project to be prospective for lithium contained in spodumene-bearing pegmatites of the Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum (LCT) geochemical family.

The company explained this type of pegmatite hosts the Greenbushes mine, and is similar to that intersected in drilling at its recently acquired Mavis lithium Joint Venture project in Canada, and targeted at the 100 per cent-owned Phillips River lithium project in the Great Southern region of WA.

“Lithium and other elements associated with LCT pegmatites are evident as anomalies in sampling undertaken by the Geological Survey of Western Australia,” Pioneer Resources said in its ASX announcement.

“To date no follow up exploration has been completed.

“Most of the project is covered with laterite – which is known to degrade and mask pegmatites, however laterite is an excellent geochemistry sampling medium and has been proven very effective by CSIRO to locate LCT-style mineralisation in the Greenbushes district.”

The Donelly project is readily accessible through a network of main, regional roads and forestry tracks for access, and water, power, while the Port of Bunbury is approximately 120km away.

Pioneer indicated its initial evaluation will comprise reasonably detailed, non-ground-disturbing surface sampling of laterite along forestry tracks, for a suite of elements including lithium, and other pathfinder elements.

Website: www.pioresources.com.au

Blackham Resources continues to drill growth at Bulletin

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Blackham Resources (ASX: BLK) has received results from recent underground drilling carried out at the Bulletin mine.

The Bulletin mine forms part of the company’s 100 per cent-owned Matilda gold project in Western Australia.

Blackham explained the recent diamond drill program was designed to extend the lode the company had identified from a previous round of drilling conducted between two historical stopes.

The latest drilling totalled five underground drill holes, which has returned results of:

BUUD0012
8.7 metres at 8.99 grams per tonne gold, including 6m at 11.95g/t gold;

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8.8m at 4.6g/t gold, including 3m at 9.81g/t gold;

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8.2m at 2.67g/t gold; and

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15m at 1.7g/t gold and 6.2m at 4.17g/t gold.

Blackham determined the results to have demonstrated continuity of grade and width at Bulletin.

“Further underground drilling at Bulletin is planned to commence at the beginning of May, to further infill the area down plunge of high-grade intercepts,” Blackham Resources said in its ASX announcement.

Prior to this drilling the Bulletin resource had been estimated at 1.6 million tonnes at 4.8g/t gold for 247,000 ounces of gold (50% indicated), and the Bulletin ore reserve was estimated at 938,000 tonnes at 4.7g/t gold for 142,000 ounces.

Blackham anticipates these new results to upgrade existing resources from the Inferred to the Indicated category, leading to further ore reserve additions.

In February, Blackham published the results of its Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) on the Matilda gold project, which confirmed the robust nature of the project.

Email: info@blackhamresources.com.au

Website: www.blackhamresources.com.au

Vital Metals uncovers gold potential at Watershed project

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Vital Metals (ASX: VML) has carried out an exploration data review, from which it claims to have identified gold exploration potential at the company’s 100 per cent-owned Watershed tungsten project in Queensland.

The review identified a number of gold exploration targets within tenement EPM 19089, which forms part of the Watershed project, the company considers to be similar to other known occurrences of gold mineralisation in the Hodgkinson Basin region.

All up, eleven gold-bearing vein systems have been identified over 1.5 kilometres at the Elephant Creek prospect from historic drill intercepts of up to:

4 metres at 14.5 grams per tonne gold from 12m; and 

Historical grab samples of the veins, which returned assay values of up to 40g/t gold.

Following the review of available exploration data, Vital has established an Exploration Target for Elephant Creek of 3 to 9 million tonnes with a grade range of 1.5 to 2.2 g/t gold and containing 140,000 to 630,000 ounces of gold using a 0.4g/t gold cut-off.

Vital indicated the shallow gold mineralisation at the Elephant Creek prospect to be open in all directions and that it, and many of the other vein targets, require drill testing.

“The gold prospectivity provides an exciting development opportunity for the Watershed project,” Vital Metals managing director Mark Strizek said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“We are very pleased by the results of our recent exploration data review, which has confirmed a number of high quality gold exploration targets within the Watershed project area.”

Email: vital@vitalmetals.com.au

Website: www.vitalmetals.com.au

Impact Minerals identifies new targets at Silica Hill and Commonwealth

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Impact Minerals (ASX: IPT) has completed a re-interpretation of Induced Polarisation (IP) ground geophysical data at the company’s 100 per cent-owned Commonwealth gold-silver-zinc-lead-copper project, north of Orange in New South Wales.

The review has identified three new targets at the Silica Hill prospect and two new targets close to the Commonwealth deposit.

At Silica Hill two of the targets are close to previous encouraging drill results, including 20 metres at 41 grams per tonne (1.3 ounces of silver) and associated with a large and strong multi-metal soil geochemistry anomaly.

Of the two new targets identified close to the Commonwealth gold-silver-zinc-lead deposit, one supports a possible depth extension to the resource in an ore shoot interpreted from drill assay data, while the second new target identified 200m west of the resource.

Impact said it intends drilling the Silica Hill and Commonwealth prospects together with the Welcome Jack and Doughnut prospects once it has closed off a current Share Purchase Plan it currently has underway.

The company explained the IP method being applied is principally used to identify zones of disseminated sulphide where stronger IP anomalies usually indicate zones of more intense sulphide development.

Impact has discovered disseminated sulphides at all but one of the IP anomalies drill tested to date at the project.

The other anomaly has yet to be explained.

“An interpretation of ground gravity data, induced polarisation data and soil geochemistry data is in progress at the Doughnut and Welcome Jack prospects,” Impact Minerals said in iit ASX announcement.

“Initial indications are that further drill targets will be identified.

“A program of up to 3,000 metres of Reverse Circulation and diamond drilling will test a significant number of targets within these four prospects and is scheduled to start following the closure of the recently announced Share Purchase Plan on 9 May 2016.

“In addition a ground gravity survey has recently been completed that has extended coverage to about eight square kilometres centred on the Commonwealth deposit.

“This data is being processed ready for interpretation.”

Email: info@impactminerals.com.au

Website: www.impactminerals.com.au

Ausgold Limited hits high-grade shoots at White Dam and Jackson deposits

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Ausgold (ASX: AUC) reported encouraging drilling results from the company’s 100 per cent-owned Katanning gold project (KGP) in Western Australia.

The company completed one Reverse Circulation (RC) hole at White Dam, which included results of:

BSRC0708
2 metres at 20.49 grams per tonne gold from 163m.

This result is on the back of previously announced results, including:

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9m at 8.13g/t gold from 145m, including 5m at 14.25g/t gold from 145m.

Ausgold explained the latest RC hole is located approximately 150 meters north-east and down plunge of the limit of historic drilling, adding it has confirmed the continuation of high-grade mineralisation at depth.

Assay results were also received for two RC holes completed at the Jackson deposit, which were testing the predicted continuation of high-grade north-east trending shoots and to add further confidence to the geological model.

New results from Jackson include:

BSRC0707
10m at 2.06g/t gold from 52m, including 3m at 5.04g/t gold from 59m.

“Systematic drilling and the delivery of positive results confirm geological interpretation and validate our understanding of high grade shoot development in the deposits at the KGP,” Ausgold said in its ASX announcement.

Email: info@ausgoldlimited.com

Website: www.ausgoldlimited.com

Corazon identifies large geophysical anomalies near Lynne Lake Mining Centre

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Corazon Mining (ASX: CZN) published results of an Induced Polarisation (IP) geophysical survey recently completed at the company’s Lynn Lake nickel-copper- cobalt sulphide project located in the central Canadian province of Manitoba.

Corazon conducted 49 kilometres of gradient array IP in a first pass reconnaissance survey over the Fraser Lake Complex (FLC), situated five kilometres south of the historic Lynn Lake mining centre.

Corazon said the recent IP survey identified multiple, strong-chargeable anomalies that are geophysically analogous to the nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide mineralisation mined for decades within the Lynn Lake Mining Centre.

The company went on to explain that anomalous nickel and base metal mineralisation within the FLC was discovered by mining company Sherritt-Gordon in the late 1940’s – early-1950’s around the same time as that company made its massive sulphide discovery at Lynn Lake.

Lynn Lake went on to be mined for 24 years before closure in 1976 and remains the 4th largest nickel producing area in Canada (behind Sudbury, Voisey’s Bay and Raglan).

“The results we are seeing in this IP indicate support for a 70 year-held belief that there has to be mineralisation at the FLC,” Corazon Mining managing director Brett Smith said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchanhe.

“These anomalies aren’t where the old-timers were looking, but in hindsight where they are located make good geological sense.

“The IP anomalies display signatures similar to known deposits in Lynn Lake’s mine area and includes multiple features with high chargeabilities of plus 20 mVolts, with some more than 40 mVolts.

“It’s difficult to imagine what could cause this response, other than magmatic sulphides.”

Corazon has identified three main target areas, which include:

The Anomaly A area, which hosts multiple strong-chargeable anomalies (+20mV) that appear similar in form to the high-grade plug-like sulphide bodies in the Lynn Lake Mining Centre. At least six targets have been prioritised for detailed IP follow-up;

Anomaly B is a large linear zone of high chargeability similar in IP characteristics to the ‘N’ deposit at Lynn Lake. The target is about 600m long and open to the west; and

Anomaly C is a zone of high chargeability that links into the Eastern Magnetic Domain (EMD). This feature may be a feeder to the EMD and also incorporates a few distinctive pipe-like targets.

Email: info@corazon.com.au

Website: www.corazon.com.au

Ausgold confirms high-grade gold extension at Katanning Gold Project

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Ausgold (ASX: AUC) has completed a round of Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling at the company’s wholly-owned Katanning gold project (KGP), southeast of Perth in Western Australia.

Ausgold has received the first batch of laboratory results, which has indicated high-grade gold has been intersected at White Dam, which the company said had confirmed the extension of mineralisation at depth.

According to Ausgold the new results increase its confidence in the predicted high-grade zones while demonstrating potential to increase the size of the White Dam deposit.

Intersections achieved by the recent drilling include:

BSRC0705
9 metres at 8.15 grams per tonne gold from 145m, including 4m at 14.25g/t gold from 145m; and

BSRC0704
5m at 4.44g/t gold from 148m.

Ausgold anticipates the results will extend the current boundaries of the Mineral Resource as well as increase the company’s confidence of the current geological model.

“The results of this program mark a significant milestone in the development of the KGP with the practical application of a new exploration model to target high grade gold and new discoveries,” Ausgold said in its ASX announcement.

“The intersection of mineralisation at depth and down plunge at White Dam demonstrates that the exploration model applied is sound and that Ausgold can confidently advance further drilling programs at the KGP.”

Email: info@ausgoldlimited.com

Website: www.ausgoldlimited.com

West Wits Mining confirms near surface gold mineralisation at No 11 Shaft Project

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: West Wits Mining (ASX: WWI) has received the assay results for a maiden diamond hole drilling program recently completed at the Number 11 Shaft project, which forms part of the company’s Soweto Cluster gold project in the Gauteng Province, South Africa.

West Wits explained the program was designed to test an unmined section of the Bird Reef, on which the Number 11 Shaft is located with an area called the White Reef representing the lowermost reef and major gold bearing horizon.

According to West Wits 13 of the 14 holes intersected the Bird Reef package encountering gold grades in all holes.

Of the 13 reef intersections, three holes did not intersect the target White Reef due to interference from a mafic sill.

The company indicated the Western zone will be explored by trenching.

Best intercepts from the program include:

VSF111
0.29 metres at 10.2 grams per tonne gold;

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0.14m at 9.99g/t gold;

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0.21m at 7.15g/t gold; and

VSF 104
0.22m at 5.7g/t gold.

West Wits said the new drilling data will be incorporated into a pre-existing historic dataset of underground mining samples to facilitate the estimation of a new Mineral Resource for the Number 11 Shaft project.

“These new results confirm our interpretation that there is a significant extent of unmined Bird Reef centred around the historic position of the Number 11 Shaft,” West Wits chairman Michael Quinert said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Excitingly 13 of the 14 holes intercepted the target mineralisation as planned and this gives us the confidence to commit to completing a new Resource Estimation for this portion of the project.

“We expect that the new estimation will be released to the Market within the coming few weeks.”

West Wits identified the Number 11 Shaft project as its current highest priority exploration prospect within the company’s 66.6 per cent-owned Soweto Cluster on the Central Rand portion of the famous Witwatersrand Goldfield.

Email: info@westwitsmining.com.au

Website: www.westwitsmining.com.au

Lithium Australia identifies new lithium sources at Ravensthorpe

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Lithium Australia (ASX: LIT) recently completed at the company’s Ravensthorpe lithium project in Western Australia that resulted in the discovery of several additional lithium pegmatites.

The company now claims to have established the presence of at least 12 lithium pegmatites with potential for further discoveries, which in turn has increased the potential economic standing of the project.

The recent work also defined the Deep Purple and Phillips South prospects, in addition to the previously defined Horseshoe prospect.

Lithium Australia described the Deep Purple prospect as being comprised of a swarm of at least five lithium pegmatites, including two spodumene pegmatites similar in character to nearby Mt Cattlin.

The Phillips South prospect is said to be a large, under-explored area, in which the company’s recent fieldwork demonstrated the presence of outcropping lithium mineralisation and very high potential for further discoveries undercover.

Lithium Australia indicated it has additional fieldwork planned that will assist optimisation of future drilling programs.

“It is not surprising that we are finding abundant lithium pegmatites in the Ravensthorpe area,” Lithium Australia managing director Adrian Griffin said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“It has been long-known for its spodumene which is the focus of the nearby Mt Cattlin mining operations.

“We see the area as an important part of our thrust to develop a local lithium chemical industry.

“With the application of our 100 per cent-owned Sileach process, we have the ability to handle both the lepidolite and spodumene to produce lithium carbonate or hydroxide – critical inputs to the insatiable lithium battery industry.”

Email: info@lithium-au.com

Website: www.lithium-au.com

Impact Minerals ready to up exploration ante in NSW

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Impact Minerals (ASX: IPT) has set off a major ramp-up in exploration and development activity on its two flagship base and precious metals projects in New South Wales.

The increased focus comes as the company looks to quickly build on its string of high-grade discoveries on the projects over the past 18 months.

Impact has lodged two new exploration licence applications, expanding its exploration footprint sevenfold to 517 square kilometres at its Broken Hill project, located south and east of Broken Hill in NSW.

Impact has been busy carrying out technical work on the nature of the high-grade platinum group metal (PGM)-copper-nickel mineralisation and high-grade zinc-lead-silver mineralisation it has discovered at various prospects within the project, including Red Hill, Dora East and Platinum Springs.

This has identified the new licence areas as being prospective for similar styles of mineralisation.

A new three-tiered work programme across the whole project is now in progress.

Further east in the Lachlan Fold Belt, Impact is also completing final preparations for a new drill program in the April-June Quarter at its 100 per cent-owned Commonwealth gold-silver-base metals project located 100 kilometres north of Orange.

A program of Reverse Circulation (RC) and diamond drilling will test a number of geophysical and geochemical targets.

“The major expansion of our ground position at Broken Hill is a robust opportunity for Impact and its shareholders to significantly increase exposure to this very richly mineralised part of Australia,” Impact Minerals managing director Dr Mike Jones said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Our recent work has suggested there is significant potential in the newly acquired licences to host the same two styles of high-grade mineralisation that we have discovered in our original tenements, including very high-grade PGM-nickel-copper such as at Red Hill and Platinum Springs as well as very high-grade zinc-lead-silver or so called ‘Broken Hill-style mineralisation’ at Dora East.

“Amazingly, given how close our new ground is to Broken Hill, these areas have mostly been very poorly explored.

“Given the advances and discoveries Impact has made in a relatively short period of time on our existing licences, we are obviously very hopeful of continued success on this new ground.

“In addition we are in the final stages of preparing a drill program at Commonwealth, which is an absolute key project for us due to our success in quickly generating a significant number of high quality gold and base metal targets that could provide a platform for the discovery of new deposits as well as targeting potential extensions to the resource we defined last year of 720,000 tonnes at 2.8 grams per tonne gold, 48g/t silver and 1.5 per cent zinc.”

Email: info@impactminerals.com.au

Website: www.impactmnerals.com.au