Southern Ore Zone first round drilling returns high-grade results for Kingston Resources
Latest assays from the Southern Ore Zone have returned up to 1.1% copper, 4.22g/t gold, 8.3% lead, 3.3% zinc and 60g/t silver.
The first round of diamond drilling at the historic Southern Ore Zone (SOZ) target within the Mineral Hill copper-gold mine in New South Wales has delivered high-grade gold and base metal results for Kingston Resources (ASX: KSN).
The eight-hole program was designed to test and extend the spatial location and tenor of mineralisation and geological interpretation within the upper portions of the zone’s A-Lode.
High-grade gold and base metal mineralisation was intersected between 50-75m up-dip from the underground development and approximately 120m along strike to the north.
Best intercepts were 39m at 1.1% copper, 0.7% lead, 0.8% zinc, 0.93 grams per tonne gold and 12g/t silver from 161m; 9.8m at 4.22g/t gold, 0.7% copper, 3.2% lead, 3.2% zinc and 30g/t silver from 165.5m; and 8.5m at 0.4% copper, 4.2% lead, 4.2% zinc, 1.23g/t gold and 28g/t silver from 232m.
Strong results
Kingston managing director Andrew Corbett said he was pleased with the strong results from SOZ, which follow last month’s high-grade gold-silver assays from phase one drilling at the Pearse North target.
“This current drill program represents another important step on our pathway towards proving up a low capital cost restart of production from SOZ,” he said.
He described SOZ as a “key pillar” of the company’s overall objective to establish an initial five-year mine plan at Mineral Hill, which was acquired in January from US-based Quintana MH Holdings.
Mineral resource
SOZ hosts a 1.8 million tonne mineral resource grading 1.79g/t gold and 1.2% copper and has retained much of the established underground and above-ground infrastructure since its closure.
The deposit comprises mineralised breccia corridors with considerable internal complexity reflecting generations of fracturing with quartz–sulphide vein and breccia infill.
The lodes have a metal zonation which has been further enhanced by the drilling program.
The location and tenor of high-grade sulphides relative to the surrounding drill holes and the geology model have also been confirmed.
Significant milestone
Mr Corbett said the completion of the first round of drilling at SOZ represents a “significant milestone” for Kingston.
The company has now commenced geological modelling and assimilation of the new drilling data with historical data sets to evaluate its potential impact on the existing resource.
An updated mineral resource estimate for SOZ is expected before year end.