Norwest has more than doubled Inferred and Indicated resources at its Bulgera project north of Meekatharra to 5.1Mt at 1.2g/t gold, or 200,130oz of contained gold.

The 113% increase follows successful reverse circulation and diamond drilling programs in 2021 that intersected wide zones of gold mineralisation which extended the main lode beyond 500m downdip of the shallow Bulgera open pit.

Bulgera mineralisation also benefits from having high metallurgical recoveries of up to 98% and low cost processing parameters.

Norwest Minerals (ASX:NWM) chief executive officer Charles Schaus says the new resource model certainly demonstrates that the gold tenor at Bulgera increases with depth.

“With this in mind, the company is now planning to RC drill to 100 vertical metres below other historical gold zones that lie within the Bulgera project limits,” he added.

“The follow-up exploration drilling at Bulgera is expected to commence in Q2 CY2022 following this month’s Heritage study program.”

Bulgera gold resource

Norwest’s updated Bulgera resource includes 69 RC and diamond holes totalling 11,138m that were completed since the last resource was made in April 2020.

This was focused primarily on mineralisation below the shallow Bulgera open cut with just four deep RC holes drilled below the Mercuri open cut.

Resources reporting to the lower confidence Inferred category (132,748oz of gold) reflect the wide spacing of the deep RC and diamond drill holes. Infill drilling will be required to upgrade these areas to the Indicated category.

Cracking recovery levels

The company added that metallurgical sampling by ALS Global Metallurgical Services found high gravity separation and mercury amalgamation of the gravity concentrate yielded ‘significant free liberated gravity recoverable gold.’

Additionally, recoveries of between 95.6% and 98.3% were reported after the gravity separation was followed by standard leach testing.

This work also found low levels of sodium cyanide and lime consumption rates for all samples.

Continuing the gold hunt

Norwest is now reviewing the project-wide Bulgera RC drill hole database to identify deeper targets that have the potential to host higher grade gold lodes similar to the recently discovered Bulgera main shear zone.

Most historical prospects have only near-surface RC drill testing well above 100m vertical metres.

As such, the company will drill a series of 200m vertical RC holes in both directions along strike away from the Bulgera open cut to test for shear zones oriented parallel to the recently drilled and modelled ‘main zone’ below the Bulgera open cut.

Work programs have been submitted and the required Heritage study is scheduled to commence this month followed by RC drilling later in the second quarter of 2022.

 

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with Norwest 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.