Sentinel Metals (ASX: SNM) has completed a multi-disciplinary campaign of pre-drilling activities at its flagship Columbia gold project in the US, paving the way for the definition of new high-impact drill targets.
Consultants TMC Geophysics and Dahrouge Geological Consulting conducted the field work, which comprised a high-resolution hybrid-source audiomagnetotellurics (HSAMT) geophysical survey plus detailed structural, textural, alteration, and geological mapping.
Sentinel regards the results as critical for validating geophysical model inputs and tightening the structural framework which controls the project’s mineralisation.
Maiden Drilling Program
Geological mapping confirmed classic low-sulphidation epithermal textures, indicating preservation of the high-grade boiling zone, and Sentinel will integrate this data with historical soil and rock sampling maps to refine target definition for its maiden 5,000-metre diamond drilling program.
Managing director Matt Herbert said the field program was an important step in unlocking Columbia’s deeper potential.
“By combining modern HSAMT geophysics with detailed ‘boots-on-the-ground’ technical mapping, we are constraining the high-grade feeder zones that we believe exist at depth and defining potential new, near-surface vein systems,” he said.
“Identifying classic epithermal textures such as ginguro bands on surface is highly encouraging, as it confirms we are in the right part of the system to discover high-grade gold.”
Technical Advisor Engagement
Sentinel has engaged porphyry-epithermal gold systems expert Dr Greg Corbett as a consulting technical advisor to assist with refining its drill-targeting strategy.
Dr Corbett’s career stretches over four decades and more than 40 countries and he is widely-regarded as an industry standard for understanding epithermal systems.
“Greg’s specialist expertise in low-sulphidation epithermal systems — particularly the structural and fluid mixing processes responsible for the development of bonanza gold grade ore shoots — will directly contribute to our drill-targeting strategy,” Mr Herbert said.
“His involvement provides a significant technical strengthening for us as we advance the geological interpretation and exploration strategy across the Columbia project.”
