Far East Gold confirms extent of Agam quartz vein, makes two new discoveries
Far East Gold is encouraged by the continuity of mineralisation along strike during initial phase two drilling and is awaiting assays.
A phase two resource delineation campaign at Far East Gold’s (ASX: FEG) Woyla project in Indonesia has confirmed the lateral extension of a wide quartz vein and breccia zone intersected in earlier exploration.
The zone is located within the Agam target at the Rek Rinti prospect, where a phase one drill hole intersected 56 metres (true width) of massive quartz and quartz breccia.
Assays from the phase one drill hole were 3.43 grams per tonne gold equivalent (AuEq) over 30m (from 98m), including 8.9g/t AuEq over 8.1m (from 102.4m); 27g/t AuEq over 2m (from 108m); and a peak result of 78g/t gold and 631g/t silver over 0.5m (from 108.6m).
The company interpreted the wide quartz intersection to represent a zone of dilation or flexure within the Agam target in response to fault activity during vein development.
Phase two drilling
The phase two campaign is employing three diamond rigs to complete a combined 10,000m of drilling and will include a 5,000m scout program to test vein targets at the Anak Perak, Rek Rinti and Aloe Eumpeuk prospects.
This abovementioned phase two hole was drilled 50m along strike to the south initial exploration also intersected approximately 30m of massive quartz and quartz breccia.
Drill core observations confirmed the occurrence of crustiform and colloform banded quartz with ginguro within the massive quartz.
Initial handheld pXRF (portable xray fluorescence) readings of the core indicated the presence of silver and gold-bearing minerals as part of finely-disseminated black sulphides within the ginguro bands.
This characteristic is believed to be typical of many high-grade epithermal vein and breccia systems including Gosowong gold-silver mine in North Maluku, previously owned by Newcrest Mining (ASX: NCM).
Far East Gold said it was “very encouraged” by the continuity of the massive quartz zone along strike and the related presence of silver-gold mineralisation.
New quartz veins
The company is continuing to expand its surface mapping and sampling exploration of the Woyla project’s four defined epithermal prospect areas.
Recent mapping resulted in the discovery of two new quartz veins within the area, one of which is located approximately 200m northwest of Rek Rinti where detailed mapping confirmed the vein occurrence in an artisanal mining pit.
The vein is characterised by crystalline and massive quartz with minor chalcedonic bands.
It is interpreted to be part of the Rek Rinti system where bonanza-grade gold and silver was intersected in December during maiden drilling.
The second new vein has been identified as Aloe Kamara and is located approximately 3km southeast of Rek Rinti.
It is characterised by massive crystalline quartz and local breccia containing coarse blebs of galena and sphalerite up to 10% with pyrite.
Far East Gold said the vein “opens a potential new fifth epithermal prospect area” within the project for detailed exploration and drill testing.
The company expects additional new vein discoveries within Rek Rinti as it advances the detailed surface mapping work.