Alice Queen shines as sampling outlines potentially large gold system at Viani

• Surface sampling at Alice Queen’s Viani project identifies potentially massive gold system
• Rock chips of up to 9.23g/t gold indicates extensions for epithermal high-grade gold to the east
• Costeans 500m east along strike of drilling return 3m at 14.3g/t gold including 1m at 27.06g/t

Special Report: Initial assays from surface sampling carried out in Alice Queen’s maiden exploration has indicated that a very large gold system could be present at its Viani project in Fiji.

Sampling over the ~5km strike extent of the Dakuniba low sulphidation epithermal vein zone has identified areas of high-grade gold.

Of the first 107 samples received by Alice Queen (ASX:AQX), rock chip sampling at the Dakuniba East Area returned up to 9.23g/t gold and 25.4g/t silver in outcrop from an epithermal quartz vein about 2.3km east of the recent drilling.

This indicates extensions for epithermal high-grade gold to the east.

Several costeans have also been completed and sampled 500m east along strike from the company’s drilling with initial results returning 3m at 14.3g/t Au and 11.54g/t Ag, including 1m at 27.06g/t Au and 15.94g/t Ag. 

Additionally, historical rock sampling at the Settlement Area has returned up to 9.3g/t Au and 14g/t Ag from epithermal quartz vein float ~150m south of drilling, indicating that a possible parallel vein zone is present.

The company said the results were encouraging as the assays were characteristic of the high-grade gold event intersected at depth in the first two drill holes, which intersected the target quartz vein/alteration zone and assayed up to 17.6g/t Au and 26.4g/t Au respectively.

Final assays from the maiden drilling also returned intriguing results with 25VDD003 encountering anomalous gold (1.47m at 0.21g/t) within the target zone at 150m below 25VDD002 while 25VDD004 intersected 0.5m at 1.35g/t Au and 20.1g/t Ag from 249.8m and 0.3m at 1.41g/t Au and 2.88g/t Ag from 269.5m.

Exciting results

Managing director Andrew Buxton said the company was excited by the assays received to date from the completed maiden drilling and sampling.

“Results received so far indicate a potentially very large system demonstrating an extensive strike length of ~5km, which remains open to the northwest and to the southeast, and the drilling program has successfully highlighted the depth potential of the high-grade gold,” he added.

“We are particularly enthused that results from costeaning along strike of our drilling delivered significant results of 3 metres at 14.3 g/t gold & 11.54 g/t silver including 1m at 27.06 g/t gold & 15.94 g/t silver. 

“These results demonstrate characteristics similar to the high-grade gold event intersected at depth in drill holes 25VDD001 and 25VDD002.”

Buxton also noted the area along strike to the northwest exhibits strong path finder minerals and is now a high priority area for further mapping and sampling in the next exploration program.

“What these results mean is with only limited drilling and costeaning, we have potentially identified additional high-grade areas at Viani,” he added.

Forward program

AQX is currently awaiting assays for a further 300 samples collected over the course of the field exploration program.

It plans to identify dilation zones that would host high-grade gold ore shoots along the 5km of strike.

To achieve this, the company is planning a program of geological mapping, ground magnetics, CSAMT and continued surface geochemical sampling over the 5km long geochemical footprint.

Work has already started with additional costeaning and surface sampling completed in June and July with assay results pending.

Another priority area for geological mapping and surface geochemical sampling follow up is the Western Extensions area where previous stream sediment data had outlined a pronounced gold-silver-antimony-barium-lead anomaly, which is the geochemical pathfinder signature associated with the mineralisation noted in drill core.

This article was developed in collaboration with Alice Queen, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing. 

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.