Taruga Minerals (ASX:TAR) has expanded exploration at its Thowagee Project in Western Australia to include geochemical soil sampling and further rock chip sampling following recent results from the historical mine.
The company says due to these recent positive results at Thowagee, the expanded exploration program will include geochemical soil sampling and further rock chip sampling, with soil sampling results expected in the coming weeks.
Soil results will be analysed and overlain with available geophysical datasets (magnetics, gravity, and VTEM) to assess both geochemical trends and geophysical responses and how they relate to structural extents of host shear zones and mineralisation potential.
The results of the soil sample data analysis will be used in conjunction with petrology and petrophysics assessments to define future exploration activities, including surface geophysical surveys and aid target generation for potential drilling.
New rock chip results include 13% lead and 102 grams per tonne silver from one sample. Other samples returned 12.2% lead, 170g/t silver, and 0.7% zinc and 12.9% lead, 103g/t silver, 0.8% zinc, and 0.9g/t gold.
Taruga notes these are the highest grades of silver identified by the company so far.
Both areas outside of the targeted quartz and galena veining suggest a potential for an unexplored mineralisation endowment.
Upcoming soil sampling will be used to compare results with available datasets to assess geochemical trends and geophysical responses, to analyse the structural extents of host shear zones and potential for mineralisation.
Analysis of soil sampling datasets will determine future exploration activities, in conjunction with petrology and petrophysics assessments.
As reported by Mining.com.au, Taruga, which has a market capitalisation of $6.35 million, has exercised its option to acquire 100% of the Thowagee project.
The area features both the Thowagee Mine and the Thowagee Bore, two historical polymetallic mining operations from hydrothermal veins that are contiguous with the company’s projects in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.
Historical mining at Thowagee Mine has produced 15.2 tonnes of lead and 5,878 grams of silver from concentrate.
Taruga Minerals is a copper and rare earths exploration company focused on developing its portfolio across South Australia and Western Australia.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Taruga Minerals
