Southern Cross Goldfields rubs Golden Orb
THE DRILL SERGEANT: Recent infill RC drilling carried out at the Golden Orb deposit by Southern Cross Goldfields has demonstrated its potential as an open pit and underground feed source.
Significant intersections received from the recent in-fill drilling include:
– 8 metres at 6.7 grams per tonne gold from 10m;
– 3m at 24.0 g/t gold from 13m;
– 8m at 7.6 g/t gold from 44m, and
– 10m at 6.1 g/t gold from 67m.
The feed is earmarked for feeding to the company’s proposed 400,000 tonnes per annum modular gold plant at its Marda gold project near Southern Cross in Western Australia.
Southern Cross’ drilling to date at Golden Orb has focussed on bringing the deposit into JORC Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource classification (previously Inferred – 1.023 million tonnes at 2.2 grams per tonne gold for 71,000 ounces) so that any resulting Ore Reserve can be incorporated into the company’s gold production strategy.
With a known strike length of over one kilometre, Golden Orb is one of Southern Cross’ largest mineralised systems.
The company is confident of potential extensions to the existing resource both along strike and at depth.
Mineralisation outcrops at surface and continues to the current extent of drilling at 150 metres below surface.
Golden Orb is located 15 kilometres south west of Marda and forms part of the company’s gold production and consolidation strategy in the Southern Cross region.
Southern Cross is currently conducting a feasibility study into the establishment of a 400,000tpa modular gold plant at Marda to treat ore from its Marda and Southern Cross deposits.
Assay results received to date from the current phase of drilling at Golden Orb demonstrates mineralisation outcropping at surface and continuing to a depth of at least 150 metres, being the extent of current drilling.
The company expects the continuity and grade of the mineralised zone demonstrated in the results of drilling to date to have a positive effect on the average grade of the updated resource estimate.
Southern Cross Goldfields managing director Glenn Jardine said the recent drilling demonstrated the potential for Golden Orb to emerge as a short-term open pit feed source to the proposed plant at Marda, and for it to transition to a longer term underground ore source over the medium term.
“We continue to be pleasantly surprised by the results of our drilling programmes at the Company’s gold deposits where in many cases we have only really scratched the surface,” Jardine said.
“Golden Orb is just one example of the significant upside within the Company’s gold portfolio that is beginning to be revealed with our current drilling focus.”