Southern Cross hits up to 362.5g/t gold in new drilling orientation at Apollo

Southern Cross has highlighted its understanding of the Sunday Creek project with drilling of a previously untested orientation returning further high-grade gold intersections as predicted.

Two holes drilled in a northwest-southeast orientation across the north-northeast trending Apollo shoot demonstrated continuity of high-grade mineralisation and outlined its true thickness of up to 50m with higher grades over 20m to 40m.

Notable results from hole SDDSC045 were a 0.4m interval grading 52.4 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 174.7m and 3.8m 28.9g/t gold from 183m including 0.3m at 362.5g/t gold while hole SDDSC042 hit a 6.3m intersection at 4.1g/t gold from 137.5m including 0.6m at 16.4g/t gold.

This result continues Southern Cross’ (ASX:SXG) successful exploration run in three areas along a 700m strike of known surface mineralisation at Sunday Creek. It is the second release in a row with >100g/t x metre gold equivalent intercepts.

“We have multiple reasons to be excited with the release of these two drillholes,” managing director Michael Hudson said.

“Firstly, we continue to see extremely high grades of gold including 0.3 m at 362.5g/t gold as Sunday Creek delivers yet another 100g/t x m gold equivalent, with 18 drillholes now exceeding this threshold at Sunday Creek – an exceptional hit rate.

“Secondly, these results test a previously undrilled orientation across the Apollo shoot, which demonstrates both wide thicknesses of mineralisation (up to 50 m) with clustering of extremely high grades where predicted.

“Additionally, we continue to develop confidence in shoot morphology and development of

multiple shoots exhibiting extremely high-grade hits across the project area.”

Drill results

SDDSC045 intersected a very broad 89.5m zone of mineralisation grading 1.9g/t gold equivalent from a depth of 97.4m with several intervals of extremely high grades.

SDDSC042, also returned a broad zone of mineralisation (36.1m at 1.4g/t gold AuEq) from a depth of 111.9m.

Notably, both holes form part of a cluster of higher-grade intersections within a 60 m by 30 m by 30 m area in the Apollo shoot.

Mineralised shoots at Sunday Creek are formed at the intersection of the sub-vertical to shallower dipping 330 degree striking mineralised veins and a steep east-west striking, north dipping structure hosting dioritic dykes and related intrusive breccias.

While the details of each shoot require drilling to be uncovered, they typically occur in a down plunge orientation with high grades which show a linear continuity to at least 400 m from surface and remain open.

Each shoot is between 20m and 30m wide in the updip/downdip orientation though they can blow out to be wider.

Ongoing activity

Two rigs are continuing at the Apollo, Rising Sun and Golden Dyke locations at Sunday Creek.

Three holes have been drilled and are awaiting analysis while another two are currently underway with no delays caused by the recent rain event in the region.

This article was developed in collaboration with Southern Cross 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.