Rox Resources reports more shallow, high grade gold at Youanmi
Shallow infill drilling at the Grace prospect has returned more high-grade gold for the Western Australian project.
Rox Resources (ASX: RXL) continues to strike shallow gold at its Youanmi brownfield exploration project in Western Australia with one intersection beginning just 8m from surface.
Rox controls 70% of the ground in joint venture with Venus Metals Corporation (ASX: VMC).
The shallow reverse circulation infill hole assays from the Grace prospect at Youanmi included 4m at 88.81 grams per tonne of gold from 27m, including 2m at 176.03g/t gold.
A second hole returned 11m at 18.75g/t gold from 8m below surface, including 3m at 61.27g/t gold, while drilling at a third hole hit mineralisation at 9m from surface, returning 9m at 9.28g/t gold (including 2m at 33.53g/t gold). A fourth hole returned 4m at 7.56g/t gold with mineralisation starting from 17m below surface.
Rox managing director Alex Passmore said these results will be complemented by upcoming diamond drilling to allow for a maiden resource estimate later this year.
“These strong infill results are extremely encouraging and endorse our interpretation for Grace,” he said.
Latest results increase known mineralisation
Based on its interpreted mineralised envelope, the company said these latest results increase the extent of mineralisation of the shallow, near surface lode. In places, these also upgrade previous results.
Last week, Rox reported a gold hit of 25m at 34.79g/t gold at the Grace prospect.
Rox had previously exercised its option to acquire from Venus Metals an additional 20% interest in the Youanmi mine area with Venus retaining a 30% interest.
The Youanmi gold mine is located 480km northeast of Perth and to the east of Geraldton, WA.
The current mineral resource estimate for Rox’s project now stands at 2.4 million tonnes at 2.97g/t gold, for a contained 1,190,600 ounces of gold.
The 3,000m drill program is testing depth and strike extensions to the Grace prospect, together with infill work on some sections where a higher drill intensity was needed due to the very high gold grades reported from earlier drilling.
The Youanmi mining centre has produced an estimated 667,000oz of gold (at an average 5.47g/t gold) since its discovery in 1901. It has been mined over three periods: 1908-21, 1937-42 and 1987-97.
The project is located in the Youanmi greenstone belt.
It came complete with a carbon-in-pulp plant (requiring significant refurbishment), a tailings disposal facility, mine offices, access road and landing strip.