In fill soil sampling conducted in May has defined a large scale 700m long and 100-170m wide gold anomaly at Maggie Hays Hill. Pic via Getty Images
Intra Energy outlines strong gold anomaly at Maggie Hays Hill ahead of drilling
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- Gold results from 15 – 85ppb have been returned at Intra Energy Corporation’s Maggie Hays Hill project
- Sampling was conducted to follow up a broad +1.5km long gold anomaly that occurs along the sheared contact between a basalt and ultramafic unit
- The company is planning to test this target in the upcoming drill program
Special report: Infill soil sampling at Intra Energy Corp’s Maggie Hays Hill project has defined a high tenor and large-scale gold anomaly.
Intra Energy Corporation’s (ASX:IEC) 80% Maggie Hays Hill project covers 49km2 of ground near Esperance in WA.
Adjacent to the Norseman-Hyden road and Poseidon Nickel’s (ASX:POS) Maggie Hays and Emily Anne nickel mines, the project boasts faulted mafic and ultramafic rocks that are prospective for gold, lithium and nickel.
Other explorers nearby include TG Metals (ASX:TG6) with its Burmeister Hill discovery and Charger Metals’ (ASX:CHR) Lake Medcalf project, 25km to the north.
The region has been a hotbed of exploration activity in recent times with Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) farming into CHR’s tenements in a potential $42.5m deal as well as CHR acquiring all of Lithium Australia’s (ASX:LIT) joint venture tenements.
Strong gold anomaly uncovered
New soil sampling results at Maggie Hays Hill has defined a strong gold anomaly along a mineralised trend that extends 1km to the north.
Coupled with the recent assay results from the Central gold zone that confirmed historical trenching and drilling results, IEC believes there is great potential for a gold discovery.
The anomaly is 700m long and 100-170m wide with gold values between 15 and 85ppb.
Sampling was conducted to follow up a broad +1.5km long gold anomaly that occurs along the sheared contact between a basalt and ultramafic unit.
Field mapping identified quartz reefs occupying dilational jogs along the shear zone, which are strongly correlated with the elevated gold results.
IEC now plans to test this target in an upcoming drill program.
On the fast track to drilling
“We are rapidly advancing the Maggie Hays Hill project to drilling,” IEC managing director Ben Dunn says.
“We’ve not only defined a strong gold anomaly, but the tenement also has other multiple other anomalous gold targets generated from the recent soil sampling program that require follow up.
“We have also identified additional lithium anomalism with rock chip sampling at the southern end of the tenement identifying outcropping pegmatites with beryl crystals and elevated lithium, niobium, tantalum, caesium and tin,” he says.
“Lithium drill targets have now been defined along a 2.5-kilometre zone and we are very keen to get these drilled.”
Elevated gold results of >20ppb
Elsewhere on the tenement, multiple point soil anomalies with elevated gold results >20ppb require further investigation.
IEC says most of these anomalies are associated with contacts between mafic and ultramafic units.
Quartz outcrops are common along dilational jogs in the contacts and further exploration will focus on areas where structural flexures generate larger dilational zones.
Near the central gold zone there are multiple gold anomalies associated with contacts that extend over several hundred metres.
Gold drilling coming up
Preparation is underway for a 2000 metre RC drill program to test both the gold and lithium targets.
A heritage survey scheduled for late May was slightly delayed due to heavy rain and will now occur this month.
IEC expects to be able to drill in mid-July.
This article was developed in collaboration with Intra Energy Corporation, 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.
