Barton Gold confirms high-grade silver at Tarcoola’s Tolmer prospect
Barton Gold (ASX: BGD) (OTCQB: BGDFF) has confirmed the presence of high-grade silver assaying up to 312 grams per tonne in the supergene zone within its Tarcoola gold project in South Australia.
Multi-element analyses of samples from a 2,000-metre aircore drilling campaign at the Tolmer prospect in November identified silver in association with elevated levels of galena, which is similar to the gold mineralisation previously mined at Tarcoola’s Perseverance open pit.
Primary gold-sulphide veins were also confirmed in association with elevated lead-zinc and broad zones of anomalous lead-copper.
Absolute values
Analysis was initially conducted using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and followed up with full laboratory assaying of selected intervals to confirm the absolute values of elements and provide a dataset to establish confidence in the pXRF results.
The results showed a strong association between gold and silver in quartz-sulphide veining similar to the primary signature of gold mineralisation at the nearby Tunkillia project.
Results to date have returned maximum grades of 3.46% lead, 10.8% zinc and 0.12% copper, as well as anomalous gold assays up to 3g/t along strike.
The best gold results have come from shallow holes unable to penetrate the underlying hard quartzite rock.
Silver discovery
Barton managing director Alexander Scanlon said the company was pleased to have discovered silver in the Tolmer system.
“We are excited to confirm that high-grade silver is present at Tolmer alongside gold grades of up to 83.6g/t,” he said.
“We believe the silver could benefit any potential future mining at Tolmer and may indicate a potential source of high-grade blending feed for Tunkillia, which also carries a significant silver credit.”
Follow-up drilling
Barton’s aircore drilling campaign aimed to define the broader potential footprint of the Tolmer gold-silver system.
The company has commenced a follow-up reverse circulation drilling program at priority targets to test strike extensions of interpreted gold-silver mineralisation below the shallow gold results.
It will complete up to 2,000m of drilling to extend the definition around high-grade gold mineralisation identified in earlier campaigns.