Legacy Minerals proceeds with follow-up drilling at historic Harden gold mine

Newly-listed explorer Legacy Minerals (ASX: LGM) has confirmed it will proceed with immediate follow-up drilling at the historic Harden gold mine along the Lachlan Fold Belt in New South Wales.

The company has secured a diamond rig to commence the drilling of five holes next month for a total 1,200 metres.

The work will test down-plunge targets of high-grade intercepts reported from maiden drilling at the prospect.

Best intercepts were 2m at 19.09 grams per tonne gold, including 1m at 32.80g/t from 111m and 1m at 6.24g/t from 134m; 3m at 4.62g/t gold from 79m, within 8m at 2.45g/t from 77m; and 9m at 0.56g/t gold from 120m, and 4m at 0.51g/t Au from 133m.

Regulatory approval has been granted for the follow-up campaign.

Chief executive officer Christopher Byrne said the work would be “an exciting next step in the rapid progression” of the Harden prospect.

High-grade mineralisation

Maiden drilling at Harden comprised 12 holes for a total 1,900m to test extensions of high-grade gold mineralisation historically produced at the mine.

Mineralisation has been reported to occur in quartz veining in association with pyrite and minor amounts of galena, sphalerite and arsenopyrite.

Legacy has interpreted that there may be economic concentrations of unmined gold in the quartz veining.

Drill holes were planned to test within mined and unmined stoped areas down-dip and down-plunge of the historic development, and along strike of the corridor workings which include the Harden gold mine, Harden East, Harden Future, Harden Central and Harden Extended prospects.

Legacy is still awaiting assays for six holes completed over 1,550m, which are believed to have intercepted zones of pyrite-sericite alteration.

Portable x-ray fluorescence readings also identified zones of anomalous pathfinder elements.

Historic mineral district

The Harden project encompasses several historic high-grade gold mines in a mineral district which has produced more than 460,000 ounces of gold from alluvial and hard rock mining.

The hard rock mines within Legacy’s tenement are the most significant in the district – the largest being the Harden gold mine which produced 55,000oz at 21.7g/t gold before 1919 with a cut-off grade of 13g/t.

Legacy is the first explorer to test the fresh rock mineralisation at the Harden tenement and the first company to conduct an induced polarisation survey at the site.