Apollo Consolidated Limited (ASX: AOP) has reported the drilling progress and new assay results from its Lake Rebecca Gold Project in Western Australia.
The company said that the drilling at the flagship Rebecca deposit included infill and step-out exploration tests of the main mineralised surfaces (Laura, Maddy & Jennifer lodes), and precollars in preparation for future diamond drilling extensions.
Highlights from the infill RC drilling along Laura Lode include 19m @ 3.37g/t Au; and 14m @ 2.57g/t Au.
The company said that the diamond ‘tails’ targeting northern extensions of Maddy Lode returned results including 11m @ 3.45g/t Au and 16m @ 2.03g/t Au.
AOP said that an exploration RC hole located 200m south of Jennifer Lode reported hits including 3m @ 8.45g/t Au and 5m @ 1.78g/t Au.
The company reported that the step-down RC hole at the Duchess gold system returned an interpreted true width 18m @ 1.37g/t Au, confirming down-dip continuity at this location.
Apollo said that Cleo continues to emerge as a new exploration target, with zones of gold anomalism over 600m strike and new results to 5m @ 1.46g/t Au & 4m @ 0.98g/t Au.
Lake Rebecca gold project
The Lake Rebecca Gold Project comprises ~160km2 of tenure located approximately 145km east of Kalgoorlie, covering a greenstone belt on the eastern margin of the Norseman-Wiluna Greenstone Belt.
The project contains three advanced and growing gold discoveries – Rebecca (previously named Bombora), Duke, and Duchess (previously named Redskin), in which gold mineralisation is hosted by broad zones of disseminated sulphides in gneiss.
Drilling at Lake Rebecca
The company reported that during 2019, a total of 225 drill holes were drilled for a total of 38,004m at Lake Rebecca.
The Company’s drill programs over 2019 delineated the three major sub-parallel surfaces of disseminated sulphide gold mineralisation; Jennifer, Laura, and Maddy lodes, and multiple adjoining stacked sheets of lower grade disseminated sulphide material.
These together represent a substantial west-dipping gold system that extends over 1.7km in strike (Rebecca mineralised corridor), several hundred metres width and remains open down-dip.
New assays reported
The company has now announced the results final 26 RC drill holes (for 4,238m) and three diamond tails (for 303m) completed in 2019.
Apollo said that the assays for the final two RC holes drilled in 2019(into a nickel-copper target), and one diamond tail at Rebecca are yet to be returned from the lab.
Laura lode
AOP reported that the infill RC drilling along Laura Lode continued to return strong true-width gold results, confirming continuity in the geological model.
The company reported that hole RCLR0505 on Section 6641590N intersected 19m @ 3.37g/t Au from 104m (including 2m @ 16.0g/t Au).
The hole RCLR0512 on Section 6641710N hit 14m @ 2.57g/t Au from 78m, and a lower zone of 9m @ 1.44g/t Au from 131m.
It may be noted that hole RCLR0512 is 70m up-dip from hole RCRL0508 which intersected a wide zone of anomalous disseminated sulphides including 2m @ 1.76g/t Au from 147m, 3m @ 1.79g/t Au from 152m, and 2m @ 2.96g/t Au from 163m.
The company said that step-down exploration diamond drilling will continue to scope the extensions of this mineralised surface in coming weeks.
Maddy lode
The company reported that the diamond ‘tails’ targeting northern extensions of Maddy Lode returned significant results, showing the surface remains open to the north and down dip.
AOP reported that drilling on Section 6641510N returned 11m @ 3.45g/t Au from 294m in hole RCDLR0490, approximately 80m below 16m @ 2.03g/t Au from 246m in hole RCDLR0382
The company said that the ongoing diamond drilling in 2020 will continue to build geological confidence in lode geometry and scope strike & dip extensions.
Rebecca south
AOP reported that an exploration RC hole RCLR0506 located 200m south of Jennifer Lode has intersected potential new hangingwall mineralised surfaces, with hits including 5m @ 1.78g/t Au from 145m and 3m @ 8.45g/t Au from 236m (including 1m @ 15.40g/t Au) in strong sulphide alteration.
The company said that these surfaces will receive follow-up RC and diamond drilling in early 2020 to track mineralisation and build the geological model into this area.
Duchess gold system
The company reported that the step-down RC hole RCLR0524 at the Duchess gold system, the first hole of this delineation program, returned an interpreted true width 18m @ 1.37g/t Au, confirming down-dip continuity at this location.
Cleo target
Apollo said that five shallow exploration holes were drilled at 200m line spacing along the Cleo structural target. The drilling was designed to scope gold anomalism to 2m @ 1.77g/t Au returned in a reconnaissance RC drill hole earlier in the year.
The company reported that Cleo continues to emerge as a new soil-covered exploration target with gold anomalism returned over 600m strike and new results to 5m @ 1.46g/t Au from 65m & 4m @ 0.98g/t Au from 96m in hole RCLR0518 (within a 75m zone of gold anomalism averaging 0.38g/t Au).
The company said that the drilling will continue to explore this structural surface, with good potential seen for the discovery of new mineralisation to supplement the existing gold prospects.
Exploration drill holes and Addis prospect
AOP said that shallow reconnaissance exploration RC traverses were completed over structural targets between Rebecca and Duke (3 holes) and west of Rebecca (3 holes).
The company said that 2 drill holes were also completed over nickel-copper auger anomalism and a moving loop EM target at the Addis prospect located 7km NW of Duchess.
Apollo reported that promising zones of disseminated sulphide mineralisation and silica alteration were intercepted in the traverse west of Rebecca with a best gold result of 1m @ 1.18g/t Au in hole RCLR0521.
The company said that this mineralisation lies to the east of the Cleo surface and warrants additional drilling to determine potential to develop along strike.
Assay results from the Addis drilling are yet to be returned from the laboratory.
Capital for drilling
The Company reported that it is fully funded beyond its 2019 drilling activities, with consolidated cash of $8.2M as of 17th December 2019.
Next steps
The company reported that the drilling will continue in 2020 with a re-start of RC drilling and deeper diamond drilling targeting open higher-grade positions, plunge corridors and emerging structural targets identified in independent structural geological reviews.
Apollo announced that its geological understanding of the system is now advanced enough to move toward a Mineral Resource Estimation. The company said that independent external consultant has been commissioned by it to complete the maiden Mineral Resource estimation for Rebecca, Duke, and Duchess in Q1 2020.