Kingston Resources unveils copper-gold potential at Jack’s Hut target within Mineral Hill
Drilling at Jack’s Hut returned a highlight intercept of 77m at 0.93% copper and 0.16g/t gold from 7m, including 7.4m at 5.7% copper and 0.4g/t gold.
Kingston Resources (ASX: KSN) has unveiled more copper-gold potential at its Mineral Hill mine after drilling at the Jack’s Hut target uncovered broad mineralised zones.
The company has received assays for initial drilling at Jack’s Hut, which comprised two diamond and three reverse circulation holes.
Two of the holes targeted the copper-gold mineralisation in the hanging wall of the historic mine.
These holes returned highlight results of 77m at 0.93% copper and 0.16 grams per tonne gold from 7m, including 7.4m at 5.7% copper and 0.4g/t gold from 16.4m; and 27m at 1.02% copper and 0.18g/t gold from 14m, including 4.2m at 4.5% copper and 0.41g/t gold from 21.8m.
“We are very excited to report that our initial Jack’s Hut exploration drilling program has delivered near-surface high-grade copper intercepts within a 2.2km mineralised trend, and in proximity to our operating mill,” Kingston managing director Andrew Corbett said.
Mr Corbett noted that Jack’s Hut also represented the company’s first new mining opportunity outside of Mineral Hill’s existing resource and reserves.
“It is a brownfields target, with a known production history but currently does not have a JORC resource estimate.”
“Considering this is just the start of our exploration program at Jack’s Hut, we are looking forward to seeing what it can deliver.”
Next steps at Jack’s Hut
Mr Corbett said the company’s geology team will focus on generating exploration targets at Jack’s Hut for follow up drilling.
“This work will hopefully underpin an initial resource at Jack’s Hut – adding an additional deposit to the existing near-term opportunities at the Pearse pits and the Southern Ore Zone (SOZ) underground.”
Mr Corbett noted Jack’s Hut was located within a granted mining lease and is only a short distance to the processing plant at Mineral Hill.
Jack’s Hut is an historic underground mine that operated between 193 and 1999. The mine produced 11,913t of copper metal and 80,256 ounces of gold at average grades of 0.74% copper and 6.76g/t gold.
Mr Corbett said with “significant underground development” already in place at Jack’s Hut, it offered potential for a low-cost, near-term copper-gold production opportunity.
“These results certainly serve to increase the priority we place on Jack’s Hut and demonstrate its potential to fall within or extend our five-year mine plant at Mineral Hill,” he added.
Mineral Hill
Mineral Hill is located in New South Wales’ Cobar Basin and currently has reserves of 2.07Mt at 1.41g/t gold and 5.2g/t silver for 71,000oz gold and 346,000oz silver.
The project has a 400,000tpa carbon in leach and 350,000tpa flotation facilities.
Kingston is processing tailings at the project, while firming up its deposits to develop and begin mining.
During the June quarter, 151,701t of ore was processed to generate 2,574oz gold and 2,975oz silver.