Australian exploration company Barton Gold (ASX:BGD) has completed a diamond drilling (DD) program ahead of a planned updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) at the 223 Deposit, as part of its Tunkillia Project in South Australia.
Drilling comprised a total of 2,201m of diamond drilling, as well as 602m of reverse circulation (RC) and mud rotary pre-collars, and was undertaken to target depth extensions of the cornerstone 223 deposit and the new 500m long Area 51 gold zone.
The company says assays generated from this round of drilling, in conjunction with assays returned from RC drilling also being undertaken at the 223 deposit and Area 51, will lay the foundations for an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) at the 223 deposit. This updated MRE is scheduled to be delivered in April this year.
Barton Gold adds on that it will also evaluate the potential to establish a new MRE at the Area 51 gold zone.
Core samples from the drilling program have been dispatched for cutting and assaying, with assay results expected to be received during February, March, and April this year.
Speaking on the completion of drilling, Barton Gold Managing Director Alex Scanlon says: “We are pleased to complete this program, and we thank Resolution Drilling for a job well done.
With three new gold zones in 12 months, we have shown the local gold endowment to be broader than previously known. We believe this is just the start for this system, where we have another 20km of untested shear zone strike.
“With three new gold zones in 12 months, we have shown the local gold endowment to be broader than previously known”
We expect the results of this drilling to provide key insights into the regional structural model, and to strengthen future resource modelling.”
The company also notes the completion of drilling comes following the return of initial assay results from RC drilling at 223, which returned multiple ‘high-grade’ intercepts up to 23.5g/t gold (Au), and supported potential for higher-grade zones to exist at the deposit, as announced by Barton in December 2022.
Barton Gold is an ASX-listed gold exploration company that currently holds a total attributable 1.1 million ounce (Moz) Au JORC 2012 mineral resources endowment, a pipeline of advanced exploration projects and brownfield mines, and a 100% ownership of the only regional gold mill in South Australia’s central Gawler Craton.
The company’s Tunkillia Gold Project is located in South Australia, and is host to district-scale structures with advanced satellite targets. The project is also host to a 965,000 ounce MRE of 26.1 million tonnes (Mt) @ 1.15g/t Au, as well as a host structure that extends 7km to the north and south.
Other projects included in Barton’s exploration arsenal include the wholly owned Tarcoola, and Challenger Projects, which are both located in South Australia.
Images: Barton Gold Holdings Ltd
