Ora Gold reports ‘exceptional’ grades from drilling at Crown Prince prospect

Ora Gold (ASX: OAU) has reported “exceptional” high-grade gold intercepts from recent slim reverse circulation drilling at the Crown Prince prospect within the Garden Gully project in Western Australia.

Drilling of 44 holes for 3,213 metres in June returned strong results from the hinge zone of the newly-delineated south-eastern orebody (SEB) anticline and indicated the lode is folded with a northern limb.

The company has identified extensions to mineralised zones along strike of known gold occurrences to the north-west and in down-dip positions.

In several areas, new zones of gold mineralisation are also indicated to be present in the footwall to previously-drilled lodes.

Best intercepts were 40 metres at 17.53 grams per tonne gold from 30m including 19m at 36.8g/t from 35m; 16m at 35.77g/t gold from 28m and 3m at 20.38g/t from 10m; 13m at 21.9g/t gold from 32m and 9m at 6.22g/t from 57m; 12m at 9.73g/t gold from 6m; 21m at 2.53g/t gold from surface; and 25m at 2g/t from 3m.

Key growth area

Chief executive officer Alex Passmore said the Crown Prince SEB continues to develop as a key growth area for gold resources.

“These results indicate that mineralisation at the SEB is folded in a steeply south-westerly plunging anticline with the north-eastern limb being strongly mineralised,” he said.

“All data received so far suggests the mineralisation commences at surface, is high-grade over good widths and is likely to show robust economic outcomes in any conceptual mining scenario.”

Diamond drilling at depth

Mr Passmore said diamond drilling was also carried out at Crown Prince to test the SEB mineralisation at depth.

Four holes were completed below 100m vertical depth with coring from surface.

All holes intersected sheared and potentially mineralised zones and assays are pending.

Additional drilling

Ora is preparing for additional drilling to further delineate the SEB zone of mineralisation between the northerly trending shears at Crown Prince.

Drilling will likely comprise reverse circulation and diamond core work with a focus on depths of up to 300m below surface.

An initial resource interpretation for SEB is being calculated and will be included in an update to the broader Crown Prince resource estimate due for release by September.