Red Dirt Metals (ASX: RDT) has reported multiple ‘high grade’ gold intercepts and further ‘outstanding’ drill assays following diamond and RC drilling operations at its Mt Ida Lithium Gold Project in Western Australia.
The results, including the first diamond drill hole to test the Baldock gold zones and the downdip extensions of the Meteor mineralisation. In addition, pegmatite drilling has returned lithium intervals with the thickest visual pegmatite to date, being drilled at the Timoni and Sister Sam pegmatites.
Key gold-copper highlights include:
- Hole IDRC030: 5.61m @ 52.69g/t Au and 1.07% Cu from 303.46m to 309.07m, incl.
- 1.21m @ 214.55g/t Au and 2.26% Cu from 305.16m, hole ended in 14.96g/t Au.
- Hole IDRCD106: 3m @ 24.2g/t Au from 385m to 388m
- Hole IDRD002: 0.82m @ 32.01g/t and 1.5% Cu from 502.64m to 503.46m
Key intercepts from Timoni and Sister Sam pegmatites include:
- Hole IDRCD232: 13.34m @ 1.51% Li2O from 312.54m
- Hole IDRD002: 12.16m @ 1.25% Li2O from 480m and 4.9m @ 0.91% Li2O from 439.88m
- Hole IDRD030: 9.11m @ 0.82% Li2O from 77.85m
- Hole IDRD035: 22m from 471.4m of pegmatite containing visual estimates of 80% by volume spodumene
Speaking on the results, Red Dirt’s Managing Director, Matthew Boyes, said: “Mt Ida consistently keeps on producing some astounding intervals and the potential for a material increase in the gold and copper endowment for the project is growing with every new intercept.
“Mt Ida consistently keeps on producing some astounding intervals”
IDRD030 was drilled primarily to confirm the historic assays reported in the central Baldock area. Another 4 holes are planned into this central historic resource area to assist with the bringing the resource into a JORC 2012 compliant status and a further 15,000m of deeper drilling is also planned to test the obvious down plunge potential at the central Ida area
I look forward to seeing the core from this next round of drilling while we await our maiden lithium resource due in early Q3 2022.”
The company also notes that these results define a prospective 1.5km strike length across the Baldock thrust that demonstrates ‘significant’ upside potential to the copper-gold exploration of the project.
In addition, ongoing infill and extensional drilling at the Sister Sam and Timoni pegmatites report that both deposits remain open at depth and have returned the deepest and thickest pegmatite intercept to date.
The Mt Ida Project is located approximately 100km north-west of Menzies in the goldfields of Western Australia and covers a total land area of 167km² across 29 tenements.
The project boasts a JORC-2004 gold resource of 318,000t @ 13.8g/t Au for 141koz Au.
With metallurgical testwork and resource definition programs ongoing, the company reports that it expects a JORC-compliant MRE to be completed by early Q3 2022. It is awaiting an additional drill rig to accelerate regional lithium exploration for the project.
Images: Red Dirt Metals Limited
