Australian gold exploration company Barton Gold (ASX:BGD) has extended the Area 51 prospect to around 700m through drilling at the Tunkillia Gold Project in South Australia.
The company reports it completed 10 reverse circulation (RC) holes for 2,628m, and 3 diamond drillholes for 857m at Area 51 to further test the circa 500m gold zone identified in September 2022. This additional drilling has now mapped out a broad zone of gold mineralisation along a total of around 700m of strike, including a ‘higher-grade’ core.
‘Significant’ results returned in this drilling includes TKB106 with 6m @ 1.99g/t Au from 140m; TKB95D with 28.55m @ 1.32g/t Au from 91.45m and 25m @ 0.78g/t Au from 125m; and TKB94D with 20m @ 0.70g/t Au from 163m.
Barton reports this drilling has confirmed and extended the mineralisation to over 700, with a ‘significant’ core containing over 40 gram-metres. Mineralisation remains open to the north and south, while diamond core drilling has confirmed the tenor of mineralisation intersected in earlier RC drilling which provided ‘valuable’ geological context to aid in interpretation of this newly discovered zone.
“Indications of another gold system sitting just about 3.5km northwest of the 223 Deposit underscore the potential for significant discoveries in the Yarlbrinda Shear Zone”
Commenting on the latest assay results, Barton Gold Managing Director, Alex Scanlon says: “Indications of another gold system sitting just about 3.5km northwest of the 223 Deposit underscore the potential for significant discoveries in the Yarlbrinda Shear Zone. Despite the 223 Deposit’s initial discovery in 1996, historical investigation thereafter has been severely limited by low gold prices and lack of attention.
We have already confirmed depth extensions along about 800m of the 223 Deposit’s strike, a higher grade core, and 3 new satellite gold zones. We are excited to keep working our way along the next around 20km of untouched shear.”
During November 2021, assays from the July 2021 Tunkillia drilling confirmed the 223 North and Area 191 gold zones. In May 2022, the company completed further drilling targeting the Area 51 prospect, located about 3.5km northwest of the 223 Deposit.
‘Significant’ results returned in the May 2022 drilling program included TKB43 with 17m @ 3.20g/t Au from 77m, and 45m @ 0.92g/t Au from 97m; and TKB48 with 8m @ 0.99g/t Au from 140m, and 10m @ 1.22g/t Au from 158m.
Barton Gold is an Australian gold exploration company with a total attributable mineral resource endowment of 28.63 million tonnes @ 1.2g/t Au for about 1.1 million ounces. The company’s portfolio of assets includes the Tarcoola Gold Project, the Tunkillia Gold Project, and the Gawler Craton Mill in South Australia. Tunkillia has a mineral resource of 26.1 million tonnes @ 1.15g/t Au for 965,000 ounces.
Images: Barton Gold Holdings Ltd
