Silver Mines (ASX:SVL) has expanded the strike of the Southern Gold Zone to 300m following recent drilling at the Bowdens Silver Project near Mudgee in New South Wales.
The company has turned its attention to testing extensions of mineralisation outside the current planned open-cut pit design, and testing for ‘higher’ grades following a recently released maiden underground mineral resource.
Multiple areas have been targeted for extensions including in the north at Main, Aegean, and Northwest zones, as well as south of the planned open-cut mine pit where anomalous gold has been identified.
At the Southern Gold Zone, results recorded include BD22042 with 99m @ 1.15g/t gold equivalent (0.62g/t Au, 10g/t Ag, 0.35% Pb, and 0.39% Zn) from 159m including 27m @ 3.13g/t AuEq (1.95g/t Au, 24g/t Ag, 0.80% Pb, and 0.83% Zn) from 167m; and BD22024 with 82.7m @ 0.89g/t AuEq (0.25g/t Au, 44g/t Ag, and 0.10% Zn) from 8m.
Both holes also encountered fractured and veined Rylstone Volcanics with the ‘highest-grade’ gold occurring near the base of the volcanics associated with silica-sericite-carbonate alteration and stringer veins of pyrite-sphalerite-electrum.
Historic drill samples taken by previous operators in the area have had limited assaying for gold, and Silver Mines reports it is now systematically re-submitting historical pulps for gold assays. Results from this first batch of samples have been received and are defining a zone of consistent width including ‘higher grades’.
The Southern Gold Zone is currently defined at 300m in strike, 200m in with, and between 15m and 85m in thickness. The zone is from near surface in the south of Bowdens and is outside the currently planned open-cut pit. Silver Mines says the Southern Gold Zone will be assessed in future pit optimisation studies.
The zone is from near surface in the south of Bowdens and is outside the currently planned open-cut pit
The company is awaiting further assays from diamond drillholes situated a further 150m to the north of BD22042. Stage two of the gold assay program on historic holes will include another 3,300m of holes within and outside this zone as well.
At the Bowdens Silver Pit, the company reports drilling has focused on adding greater tonnages of ‘higher-grade’ mineralisation within the current ore reverse, and exploring for extensions to mineralisation outside the planned open-cut pit.
Currently, the company is continuing a 15,000m diamond drilling program at the Bowdens Silver Deposit, and 3,000m of regional exploration drilling into the first half of 2023. Targets include shallow extensions to mineralisation in the north, south, and west of the deposit; extensions to the underground Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) where it remains open, as well as extensions to the open-cut mineral resources.
Silver Mines is an ASX-listed resource company focused on its projects in central New South Wales. These projects include the Barabolar Tuena, and Bowdens Silver projects.
Images: Silver Mines Limited