Maronan Metals (ASX:MMA) has reported silver-lead drill results from the Maronan Project, intersecting mineralisation about 250m north of the starter zone and within 120m of the permitted exploration decline.
The company’s infill drilling program has intersected significant silver-lead sulphide mineralisation across both the Eastern and Western horizons. Drill hole MRN26002 returned 7.3m @ 11% lead (Pb) and 89g/t silver (Ag) from 345.7m on the Eastern Horizon, including 4.3m @ 15.8% Pb and 118g/t Ag. The same hole intersected 4.05m @ 10.2% Pb and 123g/t Ag from 273.7m on the Western Horizon.
Drill hole MRN26003, located 90m up dip from MRN26002, delivered 14.2m @ 3.5% Pb and 40g/t Ag from 251m on the Eastern Horizon, including 3.25m @ 5.7% Pb and 46g/t Ag from 254.75m.
“The intercepts in MRN26002 and MRN26003 are located within just 120m of our permitted exploration decline and will be followed up with further infill drilling as the program progresses,” Managing Director Richard Carlton says.
The drilling program forms part of a 40,000m surface infill campaign designed to support a Prefeasibility Study. Two drill rigs are currently operating on site, with a third scheduled to commence in August.
Drill hole MRN26001 targeted the boundary between silver-lead and gold-only mineralisation at the northern end of the deposit. The hole intersected several gold zones, including 6m @ 1.24g/t gold (Au) from 294m, alongside narrow silver-lead intervals.
MRN26005 unexpectedly intersected a post-mineral dyke and failed to reach the main Eastern Horizon target. The hole did encounter oxide silver-lead mineralisation on the Western Horizon, returning 14m @ 7.9% Pb and 36g/t Ag from 48m. However, oxide mineralisation is not currently considered recoverable under Maronan’s resource estimates.
The Maronan Project, located in North West Queensland, hosts three separate mineralisation styles: bedded lead-silver similar to the nearby Cannington deposit, structurally controlled copper-gold comparable to Eloise and Osborne, and gold-only mineralisation in the northern fold area.
The company says mineralisation remains open along strike and at depth. Maronan plans to complete 35,000–40,000m of surface drilling over the next 12 months to upgrade inferred resources and test shallow areas near the planned exploration decline.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Maronan Metals
