Astute Metals (ASX:ASE) has identified six priority targets, guiding a current reverse circulation drilling program at the Needles Project in Nevada, US.
The company will conduct 1,170m of drilling for eight holes, targeting the Eastern Shaft, Tomahawk, Arrowhead Mine, Arrowhead East, and Whopper Junior prospects.
Upon completion in an expected two weeks, Astute will then mobilise the rig at Red Mountain Project, which is also located in Nevada.
The company has employed Major Drilling Group International to undertake the program.
Drilling at the Eastern Shaft prospect intends to follow up on rock chip samples that returned up to 33 grams per tonne gold and 622g/t silver, with in proximity to a historical shaft, while Tomahawk displays a trend extending 200m that returned assays up to 5.54g/t gold and 406g/t silver.
The Arrowhead Mine has returned intersections including 3.42m @ 2.92g/t gold and 905g/t silver, while Arrowhead East hosts arsenic pathfinder grades between 1,860 parts per million (ppm) and 6,640ppm grading up to 1.1g/t gold and 5.5g/t silver.
Whopper Junior is considered prospective for antimony, arsenic, and mercury for its ‘strong’ pathfinder anomalism.
Chairman Tony Leibowitz says this program marks the beginning of activity to run concurrently with its upcoming namechange.
“This work has uncovered what we believe to be highly prospective discovery opportunities in gold in a richly endowed historical mining area at a very favourable time for the gold sector,” Leibowitz says.
“Each of the targets has demonstrated either high-grade historical gold-silver assays or compelling anomalism for pathfinder elements, with the potential to deliver new discoveries for Astute in one of the world’s premier gold and silver mining districts.”
Assays are expected to be returned in between five to seven weeks, while the company sets to complete a helicopter-borne magnetic-radiometric survey next month.
Astute Metals is a lithium and copper explorer focused on developing deposits prospective for critical minerals to aid the global energy transition.
Astute Metals will be attending this year’s RIU Resources Investor Roadshow at the Swissôtel Sydney on 23 September.
Mining.com.au is a media partner for the event.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Astute Metals
