Significant gold find for Great Northern Minerals

Special Report: Drilling results at Big Rush Gold Project confirm significant gold system

A range of one metre resplits showed high grades and significant widths over 900 metres of strike length from phase one of the drilling program.

Great Northern Minerals Limited (ASX: GNM) announced the pleasing results from its Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling programme, signalling the potential for a large gold resource. Follow-up diamond drilling was due to commence at more significant intersections.

Cameron McLean, managing director at Great Northern Minerals, commented: “The one metre results have confirmed the potential for very high grades to extend to significant vertical depth, particularly underneath the Central Pit.”

“Results from underneath the Northern Pit are pointing to excellent further potential in this area and the planned deeper diamond drilling program which is about to commence is designed to test for extensions of the higher grade gold results.”

22 RC drillholes were completed as part of the phase one drilling program, with a number of high grade gold results returned, including 1m at 81.68 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, 3m at 21.73 g/t gold and 2m at 17.16 g/t gold.

The one metre results have highlighted the higher grade gold zones lying within a number of the larger lower grade mineralised zones and provides a clear focus for targeted deeper diamond drilling.

Northern Pit Positivity

The importance of these results is set to boost company positivity after early findings suggested gold intersections had only been seen in the Central Pit. The results now confirm the potential along the entire strike length of the Northern Pit and is set to lead into a deeper diamond program.

“Anomalous gold mineralisation at Big Rush is now documented to occur over at least one kilometre of strike, with additional strike extensions apparent,” McLean said.

Significant intersections discovered in the area included 7m at 2.23 g/t gold, 8m at 4.40 g/t gold and 40m at 0.89 g/t gold.

The next stage is slated for the second week of October, which will see four diamond holes, to a depth of 260 metres, planned underneath the Central Pit and a further diamond hole at similar depth planned for the Northern Pit.

The expectation is that this drilling will allow for detailed interpretation of the diamond core, provide representative samples for metallurgical testwork and allow for greater knowledge ahead of an updated estimate at the Big Rush gold deposit in early 2021.

The vast majority of the anomalous intersections are associated with a strong zone of silification (+/- quartz veining) and associated increases in sulphides (arsenopyrite, pyrite and stibnite) focused on lithological contacts within a sedimentary sequence of sandstones, shales and siltstones.

More detailed drilling will allow Great Northern Minerals to focus on possible late stage higher grade mineralisation events, which has been recognised in the past at Big Rush.

Continuing good news for GNM

Great Northern hold a triumvirate of mines in the north-east corner of Queensland, with work underway at Camel Creek and Golden Cup, along with Big Rush.

The results released from Big Rush come on the back of positive findings last month at the Camel Creek mine, where multiple gold mineralised layers were discovered from the maiden RC drilling program.

This article was developed in collaboration with Great Northern Minerals Limited, 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.