QMines identifies bonanza gold samples in historic work at Mt Chalmers project
QMines (ASX: QML) has identified bonanza-grade rock chip samples of up to 256 grams per tonne gold from historic work completed at the Mt Chalmers project in Queensland.
The company has digitised open file reports compiled by Orr and Associates based on previous exploration undertaken by Geopeko, Newmont, Zhong Haa Mining, Outokumpu Exploration, Marlborough Gold Mines and CRA Exploration.
The data were generated from the underexplored Anne-Cawarral and Mt Wheeler goldfields, which lie approximately 6 kilometres north-east and along strike of Mt Chalmers and are considered highly prospective due to the high-grade gold previously mined in the area.
Broad area
Anne-Cawarral and Mt Wheeler revealed the samples over a broad area within the company’s tenement package.
One drill hole intersected 3 metres at 154g/t, while other grades included 157g/t, 89.4g/t, 80.95g/t and 156g/t.
Several small-scale operations were developed on the regional bedrock quartz reefs, which are up to 2m thick and believed to contain pyrite, sphalerite and galena in quartz-carbonate veins and in mineralised shear zones within variably weathered and altered mafic to ultramafic volcanic rocks.
Small-scale gold production included 2,973 ounces at 62g/t gold from the Galawa mine, 9,098oz at 37g/t gold from the Annie mine and 3,900oz at 42g/t from the Last Chance mine.
Further exploration
QMines confirmed that there has been no use of modern ground geophysics such as induced polarisation, which has the potential to identify areas where gold is associated with sulphides, particularly pyrite.
Previous drill programs did not remotely test the area, and the company believes further exploration could hold significant potential for the discovery of an economic gold deposit.
“We are continuing to compile the historic rock chip data and carry out field reconnaissance to gain a better understanding of the gold potential and the controls on mineralisation,” the company said.
“Following this, we will design a drill program to assess the potential of the area to host a new high-grade gold deposit, which we expect would further enhance the economics of the Mt Chalmers project.”