Kingston Resources (ASX: KSN) has reported ‘outstanding, high-grade’ base metal and ‘significant’ precious metals results from the first hole of an ongoing diamond drilling campaign at the Southern Ore Zone underground deposit within its Mineral Hill Project in New South Wales.
The company notes that the results highlight the existing geology and mineralisation model at SOZ, and provide potential for mineralisation zones to extend along strike and up dip.
Highlight intercepts include:
- 19m @ 1.15% Cu, 5.5% Zn, 5.5% Pb, 0.4g/t Au and 44g/t Ag from 150m, incl.
- 10m @ 2.12% Cu, 10.4% Zn, 10.3% Pb, 0.5g/t Au and 81g/t Ag from 150m
Commenting on the results, Kingston Resources Managing Director Andrew Corbett said: “After the early success Kingston has already achieved with the Pearse North drilling we are very pleased to now also be delivering exciting results from the initial holes in our SOZ drilling program. SOZ already hosts a 1.8Mt Resource at 1.79g/t Au and 1.2% copper, plus zinc, lead and silver. Importantly, much of the necessary underground development and infrastructure is already in place.
The SOZ underground is a key pillar of Kingston’s overall objective to establish an initial five-year mine plan at Mineral Hill. Our current expectations are that, at the conclusion of production from the current tailings retreatment operation, annual production will increase and initially come from the Pearse open pits and the SOZ underground. Kingston shareholders are expected to benefit from a low-cost mine restart utilising already existing mining licences and approvals, the current processing plant and infrastructure base, and the current underground SOZ decline and Pearse South pit development.
“After the early success Kingston has already achieved with the Pearse North drilling we are very pleased to now also be delivering exciting results from the initial holes in our SOZ drilling program”
Previous mining from the Mineral Hill underground occurred in two stages: from 1989 to 2004 and then from 2011 to 2015. The current phase of drilling has been collared from surface. During the second half of 2022, Kingston aims to drill the underground targets from underground, leveraging the existing decline which will provide access for underground drilling platforms.”
The drilling is the beginning of an 8 hole program that is targeting the upper A lode within SOZ, with results expected to be integrated into an updated resource model later in 2022.
In addition, drill hole KSNDDH006 has confirmed the tenor of base metal dominant mineralisation located in the Upper A lode, and highlights potential for a footwall structure with a low-grade halo of mineralisation.
Image of drill core from KSNDDH006 displaying massive sulphidesThe Mineral Hill Mine Project is located near the township of Condobolin, New South Wales and has been fully owned by Kingston Resources since January 2022.
The project comprises near-term production opportunities including: Pearse, Pearse North, Southern Ore Zone and Parkers Hill deposits, and boasts a current Mineral Resource estimate of 5.9Mt @ 1.20g/t Au, 23.5g/t Ag, 0.7% Cu, 1.0% Pb and 0.6% Zn for 229 Koz Au, 4,461 Koz Ag, 43Kt Cu, 60Kt Pb and 35Kt Zn.
With Phase 1 drilling set to conclude in May, Kingston reports that samples have been progressively submitted for analysis, with finalised results expected during the June quarter.
Work programs have also commenced on SOZ underground in order to establish drill platforms for the second half of 2022.
Images: Kingston Resources Limited
