Classic reveal: Kat Gap has visible gold from single shallow drill

Classic has clocked extensive quartz veining in oxidised host granite after bulk sampling broke into the main gold orebody at Kat Gap just 7m below the surface.

A crushed sample of quartz was passed around an excited on ground team – rich with visible gold in the panning dish.

Just a small part of the orebody has been exposed so far with Classic Minerals (ASX:CLZ) saying much greater widths are expected when removal of the overburden is completed.

Additionally, shallower river gravels which contain previously unknown visible gold are slowly being mined and stockpiled separately for detailed sampling and assaying under the bulk sampling program, which will run for another four to six weeks.

“It was great to finally see the main ore zone at Kat Gap emerge from the darkness for the first time,” chief executive officer Dean Goodwin said.

“We dug a shallow test hole in the floor of the bulk sample pit to try and get a sneak peek at the ore before we remove the final 2m thick layer of silcrete overburden and river gravels. The ore appeared bang on 7m below the surface, exactly where she should have been.”

“The next phase is to strip off the remaining overburden and expose the entire orebody on the pit floor for the first time.”

classic minerals — Panned gold from Kat Gap bulk sampling. Pic: Supplied

Road to mining

The bulk sampling program represents a key step towards the start of mining operations at Kat Gap, which has a current resource of 93,000oz of gold.

Classic has already received the Western Australian Government’s approval of its Mining Proposal and with the modular 30 tonne per hour Gekko plant already on site, can quickly shift into high gear.

This is especially true given that the plant can be scaled to a processing capacity of 250tph, which gives the company the option to ramp up its operations if needed.

This article was developed in collaboration with Classic Minerals, 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.