De Grey Mining Limited (ASX: DEG) has announced a highly encouraging update from the drilling within the Hemi Discovery area of its Mallina Gold Project in WA.
The company reported that the drilling has defined a new CROW zone. The Crow gold zone is a NE trending gold in bedrock anomaly 1km long and 300m wide, north of and parallel to Aquila and Brolga within the Hemi discovery area.
Significant aircore intersections include 4m @ 6.9g/t Au from 52m; 4m @ 3.7g/t Au from 52m; 1m @ 4.7g/t Au from 77m; 3m @ 1.1g/t Au from 32m; and 4m @ 1.1g/t Au from 44m.
The company said that an initial section, comprising 6 RC holes, has been drilled to test Crow and adjacent area to Aquila. DEG said that the results remain pending.
De Grey said that encouraging bedrock mineralisation has been intersected in HERC043 including +72m @ 0.3g/t Au from 42m including 4m @ 0.7g/t Au from 42m, 4m @ 1.2g/t Au from 70m, 4m @ 0.5g/t Au from 80m and 6m @ 0.8g/t Au from 106m.
The company noted that the potential for new bedrock gold mineralisation similar to Aquila and Brolga has been confirmed.
Mallina gold project
De Grey’s Mallina Gold Project is located approx. 60km south of Port Hedland in the Mallina Province of Western Australia.
The project hosts numerous large deposits, of which significant gold deposits include Withnell, Mallina, and Toweranna. Other prospects include Hemi, Antwerp, and Scooby prospect.
Hemi prospect
Hemi is a discovery under 30m of transported cover, with two zones of strong, broad sulphide rich alteration with high grade gold mineralisation partially defined in the Aquila and Brolga zones. Hemi prospect comprises of the initial discovery Section A, as well as Section B, Section C, and Section D.
The Aquila Zone represents a 30-50m wide high grade gold zone (>5g/t) defined on Section 30,000E (local grid) to 180m below surface. The Brolga Zone is a substantially wider alteration zone, potentially up to 200m wide and is currently defined by RC drilling over 160m of strike.
Drilling at Hemi discovery
The company had recently commenced further reconnaissance aircore drilling and initial RC drilling within the Hemi Discovery area, located within 60km of Port Hedland, Western Australia.
De Grey has now reported the results from the latest aircore drilling and the first of six RC holes north of Aquila, defining the large and untested Crow Zone.
The Crow zone has been defined immediately north of Aquila where numerous widespaced aircore holes have encountered anomalous gold in the weathered horizon.
High-grade AC drill results from Crow zone
The Crow Zone is a northeast-trending gold in bedrock anomaly, 1-kilometre long and 300 metres wide which sits north and parallel to the Aquila and Brolga zones.
The gold mineralisation is defined by drill sections 160m to 320m apart with holes spaced from 40m to 160m apart along lines. The gold mineralisation remains open to the SW and NE and at depth.
The company reported highly encouraging drill results from six aircore holes at the Crow zone.
Significant new aircore results include 12m @ 0.8g/t Au from 40m in BWAC453; 15m @ 0.6g/t Au from 28m in BWAC461; 16m @ 0.7g/t Au from 16m in BWAC465; 4m @ 6.9g/t Au from 52m in BWAC476; 4m @ 3.7g/t Au from 52m in BWAC480; 8m @ 0.9g/t Au from 32m in BWAC481; and 12m @ 0.8g/t Au from 36m in BWAC484.
The company said that further potential remains for additional discoveries within this prospective corridor.
RC drilling at Crow
The company reported that 6 RC holes (HERC043-HERC048) have been completed, testing from Aquila and across a portion of the Crow anomaly on section 30,320E.
DEG said that results for RC hole HERC043 have been received, while the results for the remaining 5 RC holes remain pending and are expected to be finalised and reported towards the end of the month.
Encouraging bedrock mineralisation
The company said that the results for HERC043 provide encouraging bedrock gold mineralisation in a broad interval of +72m (downhole and using lower 0.3g/t cutoff) and finished in mineralisation.
Highlights include +72m @ 0.3g/t Au from 42m in HERC043 including 4m @ 0.7g/t Au from 42m; 4m @ 1.2g/t Au from 70m; 4m @ 0.5g/t Au from 80m; and 6m @ 0.8g/t Au from 106m.
RC and DD drilling ongoing at Aquila, Brolga
DEG reported that RC and diamond core drilling are currently ongoing with 3 rigs at Brolga and Aquila aiming to define the extent of the gold mineralisation on a nominal 80m spaced sections and 80 spaced holes on section.
The company said that resource estimation is planned thereafter based on this drilling.
Further RC drilling at Crow
The company said that further RC drilling is planned to test bedrock mineralisation within the new Crow anomaly. This drilling will aim to initially continue on broad 160m spaced sections in parallel to resource extension drilling at Brolga and Aquila.
Metallurgical work program
De Grey reported that a metallurgical work program has commenced at Brolga and Aquila. This program will include sampling to better define oxide, transition and fresh domains at both deposits plus a suite of comminution, CIL leach test work, sulphide flotation and oxidation assessment to provide overall recovery and potential processing flowsheet requirements.
The company said that this work is underway and is anticipated to take approximately 3 months and will be carried out in consultation with GR Engineering Services and ALS Metallurgy.
Next steps
The company announced that follow up aircore drilling will be undertaken to test for strike extensions to mineralisation.
DEG said that the programs of follow up RC and diamond drilling aimed at extending resources at depth and laterally are underway.
The Company said that it expects to provide a drilling update including further results from the Aquila and Brolga zones next week.
De Grey said that an aeromagnetic survey is also being planned at four known intrusions at Hemi deposits, Scooby, Antwerp, Alectroenas, and Shaggy. This is being planned to improve the geological understanding of this large prospective area and sharpen DEG’s focus on these areas.
Management comments
De Grey’s Exploration Manager, Phil Tornatora said: “Crow is an exciting new large and untested gold anomaly, which has the dimensions and a similar order of magnitude of aircore gold results as initially seen at Brolga. Like Brolga, the aircore drilling has only tested the shallow weathered portion of the bedrock.
The first RC drill section comprising 6 holes has been completed, encountering variable sulphide mineralisation in each hole. HERC043 has returned encouraging gold mineralisation. We expect results of the next 5 holes to be available towards the end of April.”