A highly active Barton Gold (ASX: BGD) has kicked off the diamond drilling phase of a new gold hunt at its highly prospective Tunkillia project in South Australia.
The new campaign comes hot on the heels of the successful completion of a three hole, approximately 600m diamond drilling campaign at the Perseverance West gold zone at the Tarcoola gold project.
Barton’s focus has now switched to the testing of satellite exploration opportunities at Tunkillia where it has also recently started reverse circulation (RC) drilling targeting further mineral resources growth at the 1.15 million ounces 223 deposit (38 million tonnes at 0.94 grams per tonne gold).
Numerous targets to be tested
Barton has identified targets at the northern and southern extensions of the 223 deposit, and satellite zones at area 223 north, area 191 and area 51 for the diamond drilling work.
Managing director Alex Scanlon said Barton is looking to generate additional geological and structural context to support the potential conversion of these targets to a new JORC mineral resource estimate (MRE).
Diamond drilling at area 51 is also being utilised to infill the geological model with higher quality information focused on a central zone of broad (~50m wide) mineralisation which graded over 40 gram-metres and included 17m at 3.2 grams per tonne gold (from 77m) in hole TKB43.
Drilling covering wide area
“This is our broadest diamond drilling program yet and reflects our dual track strategy of regional discovery and resources conversion,” Mr Scanlon said.
“We will continue building Tunkillia’s overall mineral footprint, but we are also looking for continued near term resources growth.”
“Our hope is that this diamond drilling will help confirm a series of new JORC mineral resources across these targets, which could provide further mass and efficiency in future feasibility studies.”
Specialist rigs in use
The current drilling campaign designed to significantly expand the Tunkillia resource is utilising a specialist track mounted rig which is able to proceed through the sandy terrain at the location.
That ability to traverse difficult ground will play a key role in the initial program of approximately 7,500 metres.
The historic project’s total mineralised footprint has already grown significantly under Barton’s ownership, including the discovery of three new satellite gold zones since November 2021.
Major exploration upside
Located around 70km south/south-east of the Tarcoola project, Tunkillia is sited on an approximately 1,360 square kilometre tenement package.
Barton has identified more than 20km of untested strike at the project and is excited about the potential of a major “kilometres-wide Kalgoorlie style shear zone” it is chasing there.
Barton has assessed that Tunkillia hosts multiple advanced ‘line of lode’ targets on the western and eastern demagnetised margins of the Yarlbrinda Shear, located in the vicinity of the 223 deposit.
The 223 deposit was discovered during 1996, and since around the year 2000 the majority of drilling in the area has been focused on infill drilling of that deposit.
Shallow historical drilling has also uncovered the potential for extensive mineralisation and has identified multiple local satellite targets. This historical drilling is now set to be tested with the new program.
