Great Western Exploration to Commence Drilling at Fairbairn Copper Project

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Great Western Exploration (ASX: GTE) is preparing to commence drilling at the company’s Fairbairn copper project in Western Australia.

Great Western Exploration has signed up drilling contractor DDH1 for the gig, which is anticipated to commence in late March 2024.

The company explained the upcoming drilling will test three DeGrussa-style targets, which makes some sense considering the project’s location being around 120km from Sandfire Resources’ (ASX: SFR) DeGrussa copper-gold project.

The targets were identified by both a fixed-loop electromagnetic (FLEM) ground survey and a heliborne EM survey conducted last year.

Geophysics and sampling undertaken by Great Western have been interpreted to indicate the targets hold potential to host volcanic hosted sulphide mineralisation.

“These targets have been identified and refined using cutting-edge geophysics and assessed by leading people in this field,” Great Western Exploration managing director Shane Pike said in the company’s ASX announcement.

“Geological mapping completed by our team found the targets are located in a geological setting expected for a DeGrussa style copper-gold deposit and share many other key geological characteristics.

“The targets are modelled as sitting between 80m and 190m below surface and their highly compelling prospectivity is supported by anomalous surface sampling results with assays grading up to 0.19 per cent copper and 0.15 grams per tonne gold, indicative of a fertile mineral system.”

Once it has completed drilling at the Fairbairn copper project, Great Western indicated it plans to commence drilling at the company’s Oval and Oval South targets, the geophysical signatures of which it has interpreted as sharing similarities with Rio Tinto’s (ASX: RIO) Winu intrusive related copper-gold deposit.

 

TO READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE

 

 

Helix Resources Implements New Geophysics to Outline Drill Targets at Canbelego

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Helix Resources (ASX: HLX) scored two new copper anomalies after trialling an Induced Polarisation (IP) geophysical survey technique at the company’s Canbelego Joint Venture with Aeris Resources (ASX: AIS) near Cobar in New South Wales.

Helix Resources trialled the new IP geophysical survey technique at the Canbelego Main Lode Mineral Resource.

The company said the results from the survey had clearly identify the ‘known’ Canbelego copper deposit while highlighting two new chargeable IP anomalies that have never been drilled.

Helix conducted the IP survey over the Canbelego copper deposit as well as the Bijoux copper prospect.

At Canbelego the survey consisted of five 1.5km long survey lines over the Main Lode Mineral Resource and Western Lodes mineralisation.

Four lines were parallel across the mineralisation with the fifth line northeast of the Main Lode across two VTEM anomalies.

The Bijoux survey consisted of one 1.5km long line across recently discovered oxide and copper sulphide mineralisation in RC drillholes.

“While it is still early days, the application of IP geophysics is looking like a game-changer for Helix and our exploration of the Rochford Trend,” Helix Resources technical director Kylie Prendergast said in the company’s ASX announcement.

“Copper mineralisation occurs as ‘sulphide’ minerals in either disseminated, vein stockworks or sometimes massive-sulphide textures.

“The latter can be conductive and to date we have relied on measuring that massive, conductive feature utilising ‘electromagnetic’ or ‘EM’ survey techniques to identify potential deposits.

“However, at Bijoux we intersected copper sulphides at grades well above one per cent copper but occurring as veins and disseminations and hence unlikely to give an EM response.

“We will now move on to build a fuller picture of the Rochford Trend copper potential by expanding to a wide coverage ‘gradient array IP’ geophysical survey over known surface copper anomalies and where drillholes have intersected copper sulphide mineralisation, such as the Cabellero and Bijoux prospects.

“This is an exciting development; fast-tracking Helix on a discovery pathway while saving money and optimising our drill targeting.”

 

TO READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE

 

Aston Minerals Encounters Further Near Surface Nickel Sulphide Mineralisation

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Aston Minerals (ASX: ASO) is keeping the nickel flag flying with the release of assays from a drilling program completed at the Bardwell prospect within the Boomerang nickel-cobalt target at the company’s Edleston project in Ontario, Canada.

Aston Minerals commenced a 10 hole short hole drilling program in September 2023, the results from which it claims continue to demonstrate extensive nickel sulphide mineralisation at the Bardwell prospect, confirming the continuity of mineralisation to surface.

intercepts include:

DDED23-138
173.6 metres at 0.3 per cent nickel, 0.011 per cent cobalt and 0.42 per cent sulphur from 28.9m, including 54.85m at 0.4 per cent nickel, 0.013 per cent cobalt and 0.6 per cent sulphur;

DDED23-140
91.88m at 0.29 per cent nickel, 0.011 per cent cobalt and 0.44 per cent sulphur from 24.54m, including 13.42m at 0.51 per cent nickel, 0.019 per cent cobalt and 1.84 per cent sulphur;

DDED23-136
63.6m at 0.32 per cent nickel, 0.012 per cent cobalt and 0.27 per cent sulphur from 184.5m, including 8m at 0.5 per cent nickel, 0.016 per cent cobalt and 0.45 per cent sulphur; and

DDED23-143
21.5m at 0.3 per cent nickel, 0.013 per cent cobalt and 0.3 per cent sulphur from 175.5m, including 3.5m at 0.62 per cent nickel, 0.016 per cent cobalt and 0.54 per cent sulphur.

“The results of the drilling program we commenced in Q3 2023 have shown that a continued trend of nickel sulphide exists within the Bardwell prospect and has been specifically targeted closer to the surface,” Aston Minerals managing director Russell Bradford said in the company’s ASX announcement.

“The infill nature of the drilling has increased our geological confidence in the maiden mineral resource estimate and this data will now be used to update the mineral resource estimate.

“We will be utilising the updated mineral resource estimation and supporting metallurgical information to undertake further pit optimisation, scheduling and development assessments.

“The recent metallurgical flowsheet development work conducted at Corem shows a clear relationship between not only nickel grade, but sulphur as well.

“Its very pleasing to see this drilling will potentially not only continue to add nickel tonnes in a higher resource classification category but also the sulphur grades have come back to support strong metallurgical performance.

“The mineral resource estimate can now be updated with these latest drill results.”

 

TO READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE

 

 

Astral Resources Drills More High-Grade Gold at Kamperman

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Astral Resources (ASX: AAR) recently completed a three-hole reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the company’s 100 per cent-owned Feysville gold project located between Kalgoorlie and Menzies in Western Australia.

Astral Resources drilled the three RC holes at the Kamperman discovery, achieving high-grade assay results, grading up to 12.6 grams per tonne gold, which the company declared to further confirm the high-grade potential of this new discovery.

Best results received from the RC drilling completed in the March Quarter included:

FRC263
7 metres at 5.81 grams per tonne gold from 19m, including 2m at 12.3g/t gold from 19m and 1m at 10.4g/t gold from 24m;

FRC264
8m at 2.04g/t gold from 32m, including 1m at 12.6g/t gold from 39m; and

FRC265
12m at 2.12g/t gold from 69m to end-of-hole (EOH).

Astral has drilled 16 holes drilled at Kamperman since January 2023, from ten of which high-grade results have been returned.

Five lines of air-core (AC) drilling were also completed across the western portion of the Feysville tenement package.

A follow-up 19-hole RC in-fill and extensional drill program has also recently been completed for which assays are pending.

“The recent Kamperman discovery within our Feysville project continues to deliver,” Astral Resources managing director Marc Ducler said in the company’s ASX announcement.

“On 15 January, we mobilised an air-core rig to site to complete a five-line regional air-core program targeting potential structures in the untested north-western portion of our tenement holding.

“Following completion of the program the same drill rig was converted to an RC configuration to complete 217 metres of drilling in three holes to assist with our interpretation and modelling of the recent high-grade Kamperman discovery.

“This three-hole program yielded high-grade assay results in every hole, further reinforcing the exceptional high-grade potential at Kamperman.

“A follow-up 2,459 metre RC program was immediately completed at Kamperman with assay results expected later this quarter as we continue to unlock the potential of this growing prospect which we have increasing confidence can contribute potential future high-grade satellite ore feed to our broader Mandilla gold project development.”

 

 

TO READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE

 

Impact Minerals Makes HPA Metallurgy Breakthrough at Lake Hope

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Impact Minerals (ASX: IPT) reported making a breakthrough for producing High Purity Alumina (HPA) at the company’s Lake Hope project in Western Australia.

Impact Minerals announced the identification of a new proprietary metallurgical process for producing high-value HPA from the lake clays at the Lake Hope project.

The company explained the new process, called the LTL Process, has produced HPA at 99.99 per cent (4N) purity from the raw lake clay in only a few months of laboratory test work.

Impact claimed tis as one of the fastest times to produce HPA from raw materials reported by ASX-listed companies saying it attests to the relatively straightforward nature of the process.

The new process involves different reagents to those used in the Playa One Sulphate Process, which has also recently successfully produced 4N HPA, which Impact reported in February 2024.

Impact can earn an 80 per cent interest in Playa One Pty Limited, which owns the Lake Hope project, by completing a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) on the project which is currently in progress.

“Today we reveal a further exciting breakthrough for producing HPA from the unique mix of minerals that are present at Lake Hope, minerals which have allowed our new LTL Process to produce the benchmark 99.99 per cent pure HPA very quickly after starting the test work,” Impact Minerals managing director Dr Mike Jones said in the company’s ASX announcement.

“The LTL Process is simpler than the Sulphate Process that underpinned our recent Scoping Study and showed that at less than US$4,000 per tonne, Lake Hope may produce HPA at up to 50 per cent cheaper than our peers.

“We think that further work on the LTL Process could result in even lower operating and capital costs, and this would only further enhance the already impressive economics of the project, which has an NPV8 of well over $1 billion.

“We have now started further optimization studies for the LTL Process and will push forward with our Pre-Feasibility Study using both process routes for the time being to determine the best strategic choice for processing at the project.

“Given we can run all these tests in parallel for little extra cost, we are still on course to finish the PFS later this year and continue to look forward towards producing HPA from Lake Hope”.

 

TO READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE

 

Iceni Gold Conducts 14 Mile Well Drilling

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Iceni Gold (ASX: ICL) provided the market with an update on recent exploration activities undertaken on the company’s 14 Mile Well gold project in Western Australia.

Iceni Gold carried out Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling comprising 33 holes on several high priority gold and lithium targets including Claypan, Breakaway, Monument Area, and Guyer Well.

Results from the drilling included:

Guyer Northwest
FMRC0020
4 metres at 0.37 grams per tonne gold from 80m, including 2m at 0.62g/t gold from 80m;

FMRC0009
4m at 0.11g/t gold from 46m;

Monument North
FMRC0004
12m at 0.16g/t gold from 28m; and

Monument South
FMRC0015
2m at 0.38 g/t gold from 14m.

Iceni Gold indicated it was now looking at possible drilling to test beneath the RC intercepts to assess the potential for basement sulphide mineralisation.

Drillholes are currently being designed for other targets at Everleigh Well, Goose Well and Crossroads.

“Drilling was conducted on a number of targets within the 900 square kilometre tenement package in November and December 2023, with a specific focus at Guyer Well which had previously returned significant gold assay results,” Iceni Gold explained in its ASX announcement.

“The RC drilling intersected a number of low-grade (<1g/t) mineralised shears hosted in three adjacent holes confirming the continuity of the mineralised zone.

“Multiple narrow anomalous results were also returned from the drilling and a systematic study of the results will determine the next phase of exploration work.

“Drilling is currently being considered to test beneath the Guyer RC intercepts to assess the potential for basement mineralisation.

“Though the recent round of drilling results is less than desirable it does demonstrate that the 15km long Guyer Shear hosts low grade gold mineralisation and that the focus is now along strike and down dip to test for potential gold deposition trap sites.

“Whilst the Guyer area is being assessed for deeper RC drilling the company will prepare Everleigh Well and Crossroads for the first round of drilling on these targets.

“The company is currently well advanced in selling all surplus equipment, which primarily consists of a Mobile Trailer Camp facility and miscellaneous equipment.

“Sale of these assets are expected to realise significant proceeds by the end of the quarter.”

 

 

Sierra Nevada Gold Hits Shallow High-Grade Gold at Warrior Project

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Sierra Nevada Gold (ASX: SNX) reported results from recent drilling undertaken at the company’s Warrior gold project in central Nevada, USA.

Sierra Nevada Gold completed 12 reverse circulation (RC) holes at the historic Warrior Mine in December 2023, from which it has received positive results.

The company explained the drilling focused on testing the upper portions of the Warrior Mine at both Gold Coin and Discovery Shaft areas as well as testing a southern vein system first encountered in earlier drilling immediately south of the Warrior Mine workings.

Latest results include:

WARC022
20.73 metres at 2.13 grams per tonne gold from 62.2m, including 10.97m at 3.76g/t gold from 63.4m (Warrior South);

WARC013
4.88m at 5.49g/t gold from 8.5m (Gold Coin);

WARC019
10.97m at 1.80g/t gold from 40.2m (Warrior);

WARC014
7.32m at 1.73g/t gold from 25.6m (Gold Coin); and

WARC015
8.53m at 1.64g/t gold from 6.1m (Gold Coin).

“Our results have identified potential for a fully preserved epithermal vein system below the outcropping and previously mined high-grade veins at the Warrior Mine,” Sierra Nevada Gold executive chairman Peter Moore said in the company’s ASX announcement.

“Identifying this well distributed second system beneath the entire Warrior Mine is very encouraging and increases the search space for high-grade epithermal veins within the immediate Warrior Mine area.”

 

TO READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE

 

 

Odyssey Gold Increases Tuckanarra Mineral Resources

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Odyssey Gold (ASX: ODY) released an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the company’s Tuckanarra project in the Murchison Goldfields of Western Australia.

The updated MRE incorporates a new MRE for the Highway Zone based on results from diamond drilling completed in November 2023.

The Tuckanarra MRE now totals 5.14 million tonnes at 2.5 grams per tonne gold for 407,000 ounces of gold (above a 0.9-2.0g/t Au cut-off).

The new MRE for the Highway Zone comprises and Inferred resource of 0.79 million tonnes at 3.8g/t gold for 97,000 ounces of gold.

Recent drilling at the Highway Zone highlighted underground potential with a high-grade shoot intersected over 150m of strike, including:

7.35 metres at 9.5g/t gold, 11m at 7.8g/t gold and 12m at 6.5mg/t gold.

“This resource upgrade demonstrates the potential for continued growth of shallow oxide resources and also the addition of high-grade underground mineralisation,” Odyssey Gold director Matthew Briggs said in the company’s ASX announcement.

“We have increased our overall resource grade to 2.5g/t gold, and the maiden underground resource for the Highway Zone contains a substantial 65,000 ounces at 5.8g/t gold.

“This underground resource grade is double the grade of underground resources being mined nearby.

“Targeted drilling at Highway Zone highlights the predictability of the high-grade shoot and 150m of strike.

“Additional drilling is planned to delineate continuing extensions of the resource along strike and at depth.

“Odyssey will continue to systematically unlock the value and true potential of this asset through further targeted drilling programs as we aim to build on this very solid foundation.”

 

TO READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE

 

Accelerate Resources Confirms Strong Prinsep Lithium Mineralisation Continuity

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Accelerate Resources (ASX: AX8) recently completed an infill and extensional rock chip sampling program at the company’s 100 per cent-owned Prinsep lithium project in Western Australia.

Accelerate Resources reported that results from the sampling program had confirmed the continuity of lithium mineralisation across the mapped width extent of the main northern pegmatite to 60 metres, and increased the eastern strike extent of known mineralisation by an additional 300m to 1.5 kilometres northern pegmatite trend.

The company describes the Prinsep lithium project as an advanced drill-ready exploration project just to the south of Karratha and a stone’s throw (35km) from Azure Minerals’ (ASX:AZS) Andover lithium discovery.

“We continue to be excited by the high-grade lithium results from our recently completed sampling activities at the Prinsep project, which is located in the Karratha-Roebourne hard-rock lithium belt that also hosts Azure Minerals’ Andover lithium discovery,” Accelerate Resources CEO Luke Meter said in the company’s ASX announcement.

“Results from the four north-south rock chip sample traverses over the Prinsep northern pegmatite, as well as extensional sampling, have now extended the known mineralisation at Prinsep beyond 1,500 metres.

“Importantly, these latest assays continue to clearly demonstrate the continunity and potential scale of the Prinsep lithium discovery in the West Pilbara, which gives us great confidence and momentum as we advance towards our maiden drilling program scheduled for early Q2 this year.”

 

TO READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE

 

Rox Resources Identifies High Priority Mt Fisher-Mt Eureka Gold Targets

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Rox Resources (ASX: RXL) will have an orderly queue forming at its booth at the RIU Explorers Conference this morning after announcing results from recently completed geophysical Gradient Array Induced Polarisation (GAIP) surveys at the company’s Mt Fisher and Mt Eureka projects in Western Australia.

Rox owns 100 per cent of the Mt Fisher gold project and the 51 per cent gold rights (rights to earn up to 75%) of the Mt Eureka gold project, both of which are located in the Northern Goldfields of WA.

The projects are at an advanced exploration stage with an existing gold Mineral Resource of 187,000 ounces of gold defined at Mt Fisher – Mt Eureka with much exploration upside identified across the broader tenement package.

Rox completed six Gradient Array Induced Polarisation (GAIP) geophysical surveys at the projects.

Each of the GAIP surveys were designed to advance the project exploration pipeline by defining potential sulphide-rich chargeability anomalies that represent drill-ready targets along the known gold mineralised trends.

The geophysical surveys identified multiple walk-up drill targets, located along strike from known gold mineralised trends that are characterised by high-sulphide content consistent with the causative geology of GAIP anomalies.

“The geophysical surveys conducted recently at Mt Fisher and Mt Eureka have highlighted a number of walk-up drill targets,” Rox Resources managing director Robert Ryan said in the company’s ASX announcement.

“The surveys have detected potential sulphide-bearing structures, which could host gold mineralisation as seen elsewhere in the tenement package.

“The 1,150 square kilometres tenement package represents a district-scale exploration opportunity for both gold and nickel sulphides, that Rox will continue to advance in order to generate value for our shareholders.”

 

TO READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE