Lion One Metals (ASX:LLO) reports it has discovered broad zones of narrow gold lodes at the Batiri Creek Lode, adjacent to the Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji.
The company says it has found ‘compelling’ evidence of multiple mineralised centres within the Navilawa Caldera, and a ‘high-grade’ drill result of 4m @ 15.04g/t Au returned from diamond drillhole TUDDH-614, complementing the regional ‘high-grade’ gold discovery first identified from surface sampling which was 4m @ 13.27g/t Au from surface.
The broad and steeply dipping Batiri Creek Lode Complex was discovered by benching and surface channel sampling in August of this year as part of a continuing regional exploration program, which includes multiple surface sampling techniques including BLEG and has yielded a host of peripheral, ‘high-grade’ mineralised centres adjacent to the Tuvatu mine.
“these kinds of deposits are not isolated and there is potential for multiple zones of mineralisation each associated with a plume of upwelling hydrothermal fluids”
Lion One Metals Technical Advisor Quinton Hennigh said Tuvatu and the wider Navilawa Caldera are part of the classic alkaline gold system.
“As we know, from geologically comparable world-class systems such as Porgera in Papua New Guinea or Cripple Creek in Colorado, these kinds of deposits are not isolated and there is potential for multiple zones of mineralisation each associated with a plume of upwelling hydrothermal fluids.
The discovery at the Batiri Creek Lade Complex represents a prospective zone where increasingly thick Tuvatu type lodes may be found at moderate levels below the current erosion surface.
Although early rains limited Lion Ore’s ability to drill more extensively at Batiri Creek this season, TUDDH-614 yielded a solid ‘high-grade’ intercept that might be telling us there is a bigger prize below.
Lion One will return to expand the drill program at Batiri Creek as well as other regional targets at the onset of the next dry season.”
Other results from surface sampling and drilling at Batiri includes 0.3m @ 1.81g/t Au from 102.3m in TUDDH-614, as well as 2.63g/t Au from 1m in channel CH2765, 3.32g/t Au over 0.3m from channel CH2834 and 3.54g/t Au over 0.3m from channel CH2789.
Lion Ore Metals is a gold exploration company focused on its flagship Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project, located on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji.
The Tuvatu project comprises 1.007 million tonnes @ 8.50g/t Au indicated gold for 274,600oz, and 1.325 million tonnes @ 9g/t Au inferred gold for 384,000oz.
Images: Lion One Metals Ltd
