Alkane is pleased to announce the latest exploration results for drilling in the region around the Company’s Tomingley Gold Operations (Tomingley) in Central West New South Wales.
Near mine exploration has identified significant gold mineralisation at several prospect areas, all located within seven kilometres of the Tomingley Gold Operations (Tomingley) processing facility, including targets within the proposed extension of the Tomingley Mining Lease.
Drilling at the McLeans Prospect, located between the Roswell Deposit and the Tomingley site and outside of the Roswell resource, intersected significant gold mineralisation. These include intercepts of:
| MCP095 | 41 metres grading 1.13g/t Au from 199 metres |
| incl | 9 metres grading 3.01g/t Au from 217 metres |
| and | 16 metres grading 0.49g/t Au from 342 metres |
| MCP096D | 0.9 metres grading 12.6g/t Au from 475.1 metres |
| and | 17 metres grading 1.10g/t Au from 537 metres |
| incl | 2 metres grading 5.25g/t Au from 539 metres |
| and | 27 metres grading 1.08g/t Au from 573 metres |
| incl | 9 metres grading 2.33g/t Au from 585 metres |
Drilling at McLeans has confirmed mineralisation over 200 metres strike and 500 metres down dip that remains open both along strike and down dip. Further drilling from both surface and underground from the newly developed exploration drive is planned in early 2023 to estimate a maiden gold resource for McLeans.
Plains Prospect, located 1km southeast of the Roswell Deposit and within the proposed extension to the Mining Lease, was further drill tested. The drilling delineated mineralisation over a 500m strike length beneath shallow alluvium cover of 15m, with significant gold results of:
| RWRC463 | 4 metres grading 0.96g/t Au from 102 metres |
| and | 4 metres grading 3.15g/t Au from 276 metres |
| RWRC465 | 6 metres grading 0.80g/t Au from 26 metres |
| and | 10 metres grading 1.59g/t Au from 61 metres |
| incl | 3 metres grading 4.18g/t Au from 64 metres |
| and | metres grading 1.37g/t Au from 178 metres |
| RWAC352 | 13 metres grading 0.91g/t Au from 42 metres |
| RWAC361 | 15 metres grading 0.60g/t Au from 43 metres |
| RWAC362 | 3 metres grading 2.41g/t Au from 54 metres |
Drilling at El Paso was focused on the volcanics that can host economic gold mineralisation in the underexplored terrain. Mud-rotary diamond core and air-core drilling has mapped a Roswell-type andesite over 600 metres in length and 60 metres thick, hosting gold mineralisation including:
| EPD009 | 6 metres grading 1.36g/t Au from 88 metres |
| incl | 2.9 metres grading 2.40g/t Au from 88 metres |
Regional exploration drilling remains hampered by an extended period of sustained wet weather in the region. Exploration is expected to ramp up early in the new year.
2D seismic survey was completed over the Tomingley extended mining area to investigate the regional structural setting of the Tomingley gold corridor. Interpretation of the survey results suggest a setting to the orogenic gold mineralisation that is a series of overlapping rock slices separated by steeply inclined subparallel reverse faults and bounded above and below by major low angle thrust surfaces (an imbricate thrust). This has highlighted several new target zones.
Alkane Managing Director Nic Earner said, “It is pleasing to see the exploration targets around Tomingley yielding results. Of particular interest is the steadily growing McLeans prospect, as this is located adjacent to our existing exploration drive and could readily be added to our production schedule should it prove economic.
“It gives us continued confidence in a mine life at Tomingley that could extend well beyond 2030, we look forward to receiving the Project Approval that will let this development become a reality.”