Special Report: Emerging gold explorer Torian Resources (ASX: TNR) has been encouraged by the return of high grade sampling results as it prepares for a maiden drill program at the Diorite Block, part of its Mt Stirling project in the Leonora district of Western Australia.

To aid with the definition of drill targets, Torian’s geological team collected 157 soil samples and 105 rock chips samples from the Diorite Block in the June quarter. Grades of up to 21 g/t gold and 9.59 g/t silver were observed in rock chips, while grades of up to 5.52 g/t gold were observed in the soils.

“Our recent reconnaissance soil and rock chip sampling programme has now produced a cluster of large gold anomalies within the Diorite Block,” Torian executive director Peretz Schapiro said.

“Of particular encouragement is the fact that most of the higher grade rock chip and soil results were sourced in the vicinity of the historic 73 g/t Diorite King mine and other adjacent historic producing mines.

“These assays increase our confidence that we are looking in the right areas with our next task to vector in on the zones containing higher grade gold.”

The Diorite Block has been subject to minimal modern exploration as far as Torian is aware, but hosted high grade gold production at Diorite King and the Diorite Queen mine around the turn of the 20th century.

According to online mining database mindat.org, Diorite King produced 2,917 ounces of gold at an average grade of 73 g/t from 1897 to 1922. Several other small mines in the area also produced at high grades.

The broader area surrounding Mt Stirling hosts several major gold deposits including Red 5’s 4Moz King of the Hills project to the east as well as St Barbara’s 4.8Moz Gwalia mine and Saracen Mineral Holdings’ 3.8Moz Thunderbox operation.

Torian anticipates starting drilling at the Diorite Block in the December quarter, while the 5,000m phase 2 RC drilling program at Stirling, the other block making up the Mt Stirling project will start this quarter.

Phase 1 drilling at Stirling demonstrated that the project is emerging as a potentially large gold system with results confirming that the current 33,900 ounce resource continues more than 100m below the limit of previous drilling.

Mt Stirling is Torian’s flagship asset but the company also has in its portfolio the Mt Monger-Wombola project, where it is reviewing historical data to aid in planning a systematic exploration program, and joint ventures with ASX-listed Dampier Gold at Credo and Zuleika.

All these projects are within the West Australian goldfields.

A 5,500m RC drilling program is scheduled to start at Zuleika this week.

 

 

 

This story was developed in collaboration with Torian Resources, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.
This story does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

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