Mining

Meteoric Resources unearths 290.13g/t gold in rock chips at Novo Astro

Go to Lorna Nicholas author's page
By Lorna Nicholas - 

Meteoric Resources’ latest rock chip sampling program has exceeded historic exploration which returned 264g/t gold.

Copied

Rock chip sampling at Meteoric Resources’ (ASX: MEI) recently acquired Novo Astro project in Brazil has unearthed up to 290.13 grams per tonne gold.

Another five samples had grades exceeding 1g/t gold, including 8.75g/t gold and 4.72g/t gold.

According to Meteoric, these latest results confirm historic results at Novo Astro which also uncovered 264g/t gold.

Although the project hosts artisanal workings and has returned high-grade gold in sampling programs, Meteoric noted it has never been drilled.

As a result, Meteoric has planned a 21-hole program to begin at the project at the end of September and has firmed up four drill targets.

“Recent mapping at Novo Astro recognised thick zones of alteration and mineralisation within basement rocks that have been the target of extensive artisanal mining,” Meteoric managing director Andrew Tunks said.

“Results from reconnaissance rock chip sampling confirm mineralisation at multiple targets, warranting immediate testing.”

He added the upcoming drill program will comprise 2,500m and will target the depth potential of mineralised structures within the artisanal workings.

Concurrent to the drilling campaign, Dr Tunks said the company would also undertake geophysical programs across the project.

“Initially, these will include magnetics, which will assist in out structural interpretation and an induced polarisation (IP) survey, which can locate disseminated sulphides.”

With the rock chip program confirming gold-pyrite association, Dr Tunks noted the IP survey would help with directing the drilling campaign.

Novo Astro

Novo Astro is about 30km from Meteoric’s more advanced Juruena project in Brazil where drilling is already underway.

Meteoric noted the geology at Novo Astro was similar to Juruena and, combined, the projects cover 770 square kilometres across Brazil’s Alta Floresta Belt, which is known for its gold prospectivity.

Previous drilling at Juruena returned a high-grade interval of 1m at 1,992g/t gold at the Querosene deposit.

Querosene also hosts a resource of 436,000t at 14.7g/t gold for 205,000oz.