Aureka’s (ASX:AKA) geology team is continuing to update and develop a new robust geological model at Irvine, which is driving exploration targeting and culminating in what the company says are ‘high-grade’ results.
The most recent drilling results from RD048 are a prime example, notes Exploration Manager Jozef Story.
RD048 drilling was extended by a further 80m to test the potential along strike propagation of the high-grade Foot Wall hosted mineralised vein – previously identified within hole RD047, drilled 135m to the north.
Story says this resulted in the “successful intersection of additional high-grade mineralisation along the extrapolated Foot Wall vein, demonstrating approximately 135m of potential mineralisation strike length continuity between RD047 and RD048”.
“And with further development of our geological understanding, has identified a new targeting opportunity for additional high-grade Foot Wall structures that are yet to be thoroughly assessed,” Story adds.
“The Resolution lode at the Irvine Project continues to deliver exploration success for Aureka and demonstrates ongoing upside with multiple mineralised extensions unveiled in this year’s drilling.”
Ongoing geological model updates and strategic targeting continues to return ‘high-grade’ drilling intercepts as part of Aureka’s continuous drilling on the Irvine Project in the Stawell Corridor.
There is visible gold from intercepts along the newly identified Foot Wall Vein. Remaining assays from hole RD048 returned intercepts including 5.66m @ 6.13g/t gold from 489.34m, including 0.38m @ 85.8g/t gold from 492.18m.
Gold mineralisation is within a weakly stylolitic sheared quartz vein with minor arsenopyrite hosted in the Resolution Foot Wall, and adds to the wider zone previously reported in RD048.
The new assays are 70m below those previously reported in the Tenacity Hanging Wall Fault.
Managing Director James Gurry says Aureka’s focus on persistent drilling and ongoing geological updates at Irvine continues to deliver ‘high-grade’ intercepts beyond the current 304,000 ounce mineral resource area. “
This new foot wall structure represents a fantastic target for additional drilling and comes so soon after the Tenacity Hanging Wall Fault delivered us some of the highest grades since discovery on the project,” Gurry says.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: Aureka
