AuKing (ASX: AKN) has announced ‘outstanding’ first assay results from diamond drilling conducted in November and December 2021 at the Onedin prospect within its Koongie Park Project in Western Australia.
‘High-grade’, near surface copper and silver, and other mineral intersections were identified at drill hole AORD004, with results including:
- 105.3m @ 1.94% Cu, 0.76% Zn, 0.70% Pb, 55g/t Ag, and 106ppm Mo from 46m; including
- 16.6m @ 10.20% Cu, 1.03% Zn, 0.46% Pb, and 316g/t Ag from 130m.
The company notes that remaining assays from the program are expected to be received and reported within the next week.
Addressing the results, AuKing’s Chief Executive Officer Paul Williams said: “We are excited to report these outstanding intersections from the drilling undertaken at Onedin late last year. The results from drill hole AORD004 are phenomenal – especially the very high-grade zone of more than 10% Cu from 130m depth.
Following the excellent results from AKN’s first drilling program reported last year, the Company has now clearly identified a significant copper deposit at its Koongie Park project which we now have a 75% interest in.
“the Company has now clearly identified a significant copper deposit at its Koongie Park project”
Results such as these from AORD004 set the scene for the commencement of AKN’s metallurgical testwork program on the near-surface Onedin ores. In addition, these results should be highly complementary to AKN’s Koongie Park resource upgrade work that has already commenced and with a report likely to be available later this quarter.”
The drilling program was primarily designed to infill the existing drill pattern at Onedin and to supply sample material for a proposed metallurgical test-work program which is scheduled to commence before the end of February.
Seven diamond drill holes were completed at as part of the proposed metallurgical testwork program for a total of 1,433m, and with a maximum depth of 243m.
Assay results from hole AORD004 indicate a ‘high-grade’ zone of over 100m of 1.96% Cu from 46m below surface, including a ‘very high-grade’ zone of copper and silver from 130m.
Cross-section view of the Onedin prospect displaying AORD004The results also provided confirmation of mineralisation to the north of drill holes AOWB003 and AORC004, which previously returned intersections including 124m @ 1.03% Cu, 1.08% Zn, 1.54% Pb, and 50g/t Ag from 8m. In addition, further evidence has been provided to support a zone of molybdenum mineralisation.
The Koongie Park Project is situated in north-eastern Western Australia in the ‘highly-mineralised’ Halls Creek region. AuKing holds a 75% interest in the Koongie Park JV with Anglo Australian Resources (ASX: AAR).
The project contains an existing JORC-2012 resource of 6.8Mt @ 1.3% Cu, 4.1% Zn, 0.3g/t Au, and 26g/t Ag, with work currently focused on two primary copper-zinc deposits at Koongie Park, Onedin and Sandiego.
The company notes that future exploration work at will focus on upgrading and expanding upon the current Inferred and Indicated Resource Estimate at Onedin via further drilling within and immediately outside the existing resource area.
Images: AuKing Mining Limited
