Catalyst Metals Limited (ASX: CYL), in conjunction with Navarre Minerals Limited (ASX: NML), has announced high-grade gold intercepts from the 42 holes of infill AC drilling on the southern extension of the Macnaughtan gold trend and 31 holes of reconnaissance AC drilling north of the Lawry Zone within its Tandarra Gold project in Victoria.
The companies reported that the high-grade gold drill intercepts significantly enhance the 1.4km strike of Macnaughtan prospect within the Tandarra Gold Project.
Significant results include 3 metres @ 94.9g/t Au from 87 metres; 3 metres @ 7.8g/t Au within a broader interval of 18 metres @ 1.6g/t Au from 75 metres; and 1 metre @ 2.5g/t Au from 108 metres at the end of hole
The JV partners said that the Lawry Zone extended northwards by 700 metres based on arsenic geochemistry and trace gold mineralisation.
The companis reported that the follow-up programs of air core and reverse circulation drilling are planned for the 2020-21 field season.
Tandarra project
The Tandarra Gold Project is situated along the Whitelaw Fault, about 40 kilometres north of Bendigo in Central Victoria. Significant structures within Tandarra include Tomorrow and Macnaughtan trend.
A new zone of gold mineralisation, Lawry Zone, was recently discovered 500 metres east of Tomorrow Trend. The Lawry Zone is open to north, south, and at depth.
Catalyst and Navarre Minerals Limited had entered into a Heads of Agreement which enables Catalyst (through a 100% subsidiary, Kite Operations Pty Ltd) to earn a 51% interest in the tenement by spending $3 million on exploration over a period of 4 years.
Tandarra Retention Licence, RL006660, is located 40km north of the historical 22Moz Bendigo Goldfield in Victoria. RL006660 is owned in joint venture by Catalyst (51%) and Navarre (49%) with Catalyst as manager of the joint venture.
Drilling at Macnaughtan
The companies announced that it has completed six east-west orientated infill AC drilling traverses totalling 42 holes across a 1.6 kilometre strike length of the southern end of the Macnaughtan Zone. This was done as follow-up to results from reconnaissance testing of April 2020.
Previous reconnaissance AC drilling had encountered anomalous zones of gold and arsenic on widely spaced drill traverses, warranting follow-up drilling.
The companies said that the infill drilling has revealed highly significant gold mineralisation over a 600-metre strike-length, with some indications of multiple mineralised horizons. These results extend the strike length of mineralisation reported in April 2020 to 1.4 kilometres.
The JV partners reported that zones of anomalous arsenic with trace gold enclosed are interpreted to extend the zone(s) of higher-grade gold mineralisation northwards.
High-grade intercepts
The companies announced high-grade intercepts from the Macnaughtan prospect.
Significant new intersections recorded include 3 metres @ 94.9g/t Au from 87 metres in drill hole ACT475; 18 metres @ 1.6g/t Au (including 3 metres @ 7.8g/t Au) from 75 metres in drill hole ACT464; 1 metre @ 2.5g/t Au from 108 metres to end of hole (EOH) in drill hole ACT473; 3 metres @ 1.8g/t Au from 66 metres in ACT476; and 3 metres @ 1.4g/t Au from 69 metres in ACT516.
Drilling at Lawry Zone
The companies announced that a program of follow-up reconnaissance drilling comprising of 30 AC holes was completed over a potential 700m northern projection of the Lawry mineralised structure.
The program comprised four east-west orientated drill traverses spaced between 100 and 200 metres (north-south) over the interpreted strike projection of the target structure.
The JV partners said that the Lawry AC drill program encountered difficult drilling conditions resulting in around only half of the drill holes successfully reaching bedrock and testing the target zone.
The companies said that additional drilling will be required to fully test this area and this is planned to occur during the 2020-21 field season, following the winter rains and cropping activity.
It may be noted that the holes at the western end of the reconnaissance traverses provided similar arsenic and trace gold anomalism, indicating a potential southerly extension of the Tomorrow Zone.
Next steps
The JV partners said that further aircore drilling is warranted to infill and extend the gold zones delineated at the Macnaughtan and the Lawry zones.
The companies said that Reverse Circulation and Diamond Drilling would follow to test the mineralisation at depth subject to ongoing results.
It may be noted that the gold values reported from both zones are the result of ICPMS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy) analysis of aqua regia leached 25gm samples taken from composite, 3-metre drill samples.
The JV partners said that the breakdown to individual one-metre samples will be analysed and confirmatory assays of larger samples (cyanide extractable gold in 2 kg samples) will be completed in due course.
Management comments
Catalyst Technical Director Bruce Kay said: “The high grades and continuity of gold mineralisation revealed by this AC drilling are highly encouraging, confirming the potential of the southern Macnaughtan prospect to become the second significantly mineralised structure at Tandarra, in parallel with the high grade gold intersections at the Tomorrow Zone, 250 metres to the east.”