Drilling at the Bau gold project continues to exceed Besra’s expectations with the second batch of results reporting further thick gold intersections from surface.
This included a top hit of 47m grading 2.21 grams per tonne gold (g/t) from surface with a further 11m zone at 1.56g/t gold from 52m within the same hole.
Importantly for Besra Gold (ASX:BEZ), the majority of the gold grade intercepts are higher than the historical grades of between 1.5g/t and 1.6g/t, which mirrors the results it had observed in the first batch of drill results from its 2021-22 diamond drilling program.
The results also expand the surface outcrop of mineralisation at Jugan Hill project area while enhancing the sub-surface correlation of mineralisation at depth.
“The second batch of results from our 2021-2022 diamond drilling program, like the first, continue to outshine the historical drilling data and exceed our expectations in terms of Jugan’s overall mineralisation tenor,” chief executive officer Dr Ray Shaw said.
“Combined, these results are positively challenging Jugan’s mineralisation’s wire-frame modelling that underpins its current resource inventory.
“Already this program has elevated Jugan for critical evaluation as a potential shorter term stand-alone development opportunity.”
The potential to further upgrade the Jugan resource is hugely positive given that it already consists of a higher-confidence Measured and Indicated resource of 870,000oz at a grade of 1.5g/t gold and an Inferred resource of 90,000oz at 1.6g/t gold.
Jugan itself is part of the broader 3.3Moz Bau project that is defined by a system of gold endowment extending within an eight km by 15 km corridor, centred on the township of Bau, Malaysia.
Assays are pending for a third batch of seven drill holes.
Diamond drilling
The ongoing diamond drilling program of 16 holes totalling about 1,650m – with two holes currently being drilled – is designed to provide additional sub-surface control particularly across the crest and southwestern flank of Jugan Hill.
This topographic feature coincides with the outcrop of the main mineralised body where local faulting may enhance the crestal region with apparent rollover.
Drilling consists of both infill and step-out drilling to both confirm and challenge the historical mineralisation envelope.
To date, hole JUDDH-86 – 20m at 1.25g/t gold from surface – has confirmed the east-southeast extension of the mineralisation outcrop at surface beyond the crest of Jugan Hill eastwards of the extent previously provided by historical hole DDH-11318.
The data also provides confidence in extrapolating this mineralisation and correlating it to shallow intercepts in JUDDH-09, providing for an expanded surface footprint of outcropping mineralisation which, in turn, enhances the extent of low strip ratios in any future potential mining operations.
Meanwhile, JUDDH-88 (the highlighted top intersection) was designed to investigate the lateral continuity of the main zone of mineralisation, down-dip beyond the surface outcrop, in the direction of the mineralisation’s plunging northern limb.
This intersected 82m of mineralisation over an 89m drill interval and also encountered a basal interval of significantly higher-grade mineral endowment that is probably associated with enhanced fracturing and veining proximal to the thrust fault boundary.
This article was developed in collaboration with Besra Gold, 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.