Mining

Rumble Resources and Zenith Minerals kick off major drill program at Earaheedy zinc-lead discovery

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By Danica Cullinane - 
Rumble Resources Zenith Minerals ASX RTR ZNC diamond drill rig Earaheedy Project zinc lead

A 30,000m diamond and RC drill program has commenced at Rumble and Zenith’s Chinook prospect.

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Exploration partners Rumble Resources (ASX: RTR) and Zenith Minerals (ASX: ZNC) have kicked off a phase two drilling program to focus on the major zinc-lead discovery made last month at the Chinook prospect in their Western Australian joint venture project.

The companies share the Earaheedy project, located 110km north of Wiluna, with Rumble owning 75% of the exploration tenement and Zenith holding the remaining 25%.

Rumble today announced that a minimum of 30,000m of diamond and reverse circulation drilling has commenced at the project. The multi-rig program aims to understand the style of mineralisation, scope out the Chinook discovery and make further, new discoveries.

A diamond drill rig has already started to complete 3,000m of diamond drilling and one out of three RC rigs is being mobilised to site this week for the 27,000m of RC drilling. Drill contracts have been awarded for the second and third RC rigs, which are anticipated to mobilise over the coming weeks.

A gravity geophysics program has also begun at the Chinook prospect to refine target generation. This will tie in with the passive seismic and airborne magnetics already completed.

Drilling to follow up major discovery at Chinook

In mid-April, the partners announced a major zinc-lead discovery at the Chinook prospect after fast tracking two holes from its phase one drilling program for assay.

The first hole returned 34m at 4.22% zinc and lead, including 17m at 6.5% zinc and lead. The second hole hit 21m at 4.3% zinc-lead.

The 24 remaining holes have assays pending.

All assays are pending from seven holes completed at the Magazine prospect.

Once all assays from this phase one program are returned, Rumble said it will release a comprehensive announcement and outline the next steps, which will include this phase two drilling program at Chinook.

Regional drilling program

Rumble will also commence a regional-scale RC drilling program over the coming months along the highly prospective 12km of strike in the granted E69/3464 looking for new discoveries throughout the Earaheedy project. The company said the style of mineralisation “lends itself to multiple large tonnage deposits”.

There is also 30km of prospective strike in the adjacent and contiguous E69/3787, which is still in application. Rumble said the grant process is anticipated to take six months and will be progressed in parallel to activities at E69/3464.