Downhole Electromagnetic (EM) surveying is also planned for H2, chasing high grade feeder zones. Pic: via Getty Images.
Warriedar finds polymetallic mineralisation at Austin, eyes base metal potential
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RC drilling at Warriedar Resources’ Austin deposit at its Golden Range project in WA has intersected polymetallic sulphide mineralisation.
The holes were planned to test for depth extensions to the gold mineralisation lying under the existing shallow pit (previously mined in 2014 for oxide gold mineralisation), and to investigate the potential for the Austin deposit to be polymetallic.
Key intervals returned from two holes include:
- 8m at 1.04g/t Au, 19.5g/t Ag, 0.54% Pb from 144m (AURC087); including 4m at 0.88g/t Au, 27g/t Ag and 1.02% Pb from 144m (AURC087); and
- 20m at 1.98g/t Au, 7.2g/t Ag, 844ppm Pb from 160m (AURC086).
The silver and lead assay results confirm the Warriedar model that the Austin deposit is a polymetallic deposit with significant base metal exploration potential.
Three of the five holes drilled at Austin in this campaign failed to reach target depth due to excessive water and are planned to be diamond tailed in the Q3 drilling program.
DEM survey planned for Q3
Warriedar Resources (ASX:WA8) says the Austin polymetallic system, open at depth and plunging south, sits within an interpreted Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) horizon.
The existing drilling suggests the system is plunging to the south, however further drilling is required to better understand the scale and geometry of the deposit, and where, if any, higher grade VMS feeder zones exist within the host horizon, the company says.
Notably, the Yalgoo Singleton Greenstone belt hosts several VMS deposits, such as the Cu-Zn-Pb-Ag-Au Golden Grove cluster of mines, approximately 4km to the east of Austin, along with Capricorn Metals’ (ASX:CMM) Mt Gibson Gold Project to the south, and Venture Minerals’ (ASX:VMS) VMS prospects to the north.
“VMS deposits typically occur in clusters, as readily demonstrated at the adjacent Golden Grove cluster,” the company said.
“Encouragingly, there is a weak bedrock conductor in 2014 Airborne EM data approximately 1.2km south of the historical Austin pit, within the same host horizon.
“Ground and downhole EM are the only effective EM configurations for detecting Golden Grove style mineralisation, and ground EM is planned to be undertaken over the conductor south of Austin during H2 2023.”
This article was developed in collaboration with Warriedar Resources, 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.
