Aircore drilling at Gidgee targets confirms major oxide gold trend for Gateway Mining
Assays from the 22,000m drilling program at Gidgee are expected next quarter.
Gateway Mining’s (ASX: GML) first aircore drilling results for the year have confirmed a major trend of shallow, oxide gold mineralisation extending over 700 metres southwest of the Julias discovery within the Gidgee project in Western Australia.
The 16,000m campaign targeted the Julias South and Flametree prospects, as well as north-eastern extensions to Julias and several regional targets.
The results follow high-grade assays from the adjacent historic Flametree target and suggest the emergence of a large-scale mineralised system over a total strike length of more than 2km.
Julias South trend
A total of 42 holes for 3,226m were drilled along the Julias South trend where best results included 4m at 8.3 grams per tonne gold from 56m; 5m at 1.9g/t from 36m; 9m at 1g/t from 84m; 4m at 1.2g/t from 84m; and 7m at 1g/t from 48m.
The mineralisation is believed to be contained in a heavily-weathered sedimentary rock sequence, associated with a moderately-dipping gossanous quartz-breccia fault zone.
It is present at shallow depths, with a visually-distinct prospective horizon which has been successfully traced for over 1.2km and is open to the northwest.
The assays are consistent with previous aircore results returned from Julias South including 24m at 1.4g/t gold from 16m; 8m at 1.3g/t from 32m; and 4m at 1.4g/t from 16m.
Gateway also defined an expansive zone of shallow oxide gold mineralisation over a strike length exceeding 700m to the south of the Julias target, where recent reverse circulation drilling demonstrated substantial zones of high-grade, near surface gold including 11m at 2.6g/t from 24m; 10m at 3g/t from 38m; 12m at 2.4g/t from 60m; and 9m at 3.5g/t from 67m.
Flametree drilling
Gateway drilled 34 aircore holes for a total 2,833m across the Flametree target area, which aimed to confirming the orientation of mineralisation with respect to the Julias trend.
Best results were 3m at 5.4g/t gold from 51m; 4m at 2.5g/t from 69m; 9m at 1g/t from 64m; 4m at 1.7g/t from 32m; and 4m at 1.1g/t from 84m.
Historical drilling in the area produced several zones of high-grade oxide gold intersections including 5m at 10.4g/t from 52m; 4m at 3.8g/t from 20m; 5m at 3.8g/t from 23m; 7m at 5g/t from 29m; and 5m at 7.0g/t from 31m.
The mineralisation at Flametree was encountered in several horizons within the target’s heavily-oxidised profile and Gateway said the prevalence of significant oxide gold in the area makes it an important future target for further aircore work.
The company is now preparing to re-commence reverse circulation drilling at Gidgee, aimed at increasing the project’s current 449,000 ounce gold indicated and inferred mineral resource.