AusQuest Limited (ASX: AQD) has stated that its reconnaissance diamond drilling programme at the company’s Balladonia Base Metal Project in the Fraser Range region of Western Australia has been successfully completed.
The Balladonia Project is subject to the Strategic Alliance Agreement (SAA) with a wholly owned subsidiary of South32 Limited. The programme was designed to provide an initial test of Broken Hill Type (BHT) geophysical targets to confirm the base metal prospectivity of the region.
Drilling was completed at seven targets, including additional drilling (three holes for 1,411m) at the Tea Tree prospect, where previous drill results indicated the presence of BHT host rocks (ASX release 30 June 2022). Initial assay data have been received from the Tea Tree prospect (three drill-holes) with final assays for the remaining six targets expected by the end of August.
The targets tested were defined by a combination of detailed gravity and magnetic surveys which outlined strong anomalies indicative of prospective host stratigraphy and potential base metal mineralisation like that found in the Cloncurry Region of NW Queensland (host to the Cannington deposit) and the Broken Hill area of NSW.
At the Tea Tree prospect, drilling along strike and beneath the initial drilled section intersected prospective host rocks as defined by the presence of banded iron formations (BIF’s) and garnetiferous quartzites. Preliminary interpretation of the assay data from drill holes 23BDDD018, 019 and 020 outlined a potential ‘lode horizon’ (~50m thick) within the prospective host stratigraphy containing elevated values of lead (up to 507ppm Pb), zinc (up to 1,258ppm Zn) cadmium (up to 32ppm Cd) and tin (up to 20ppm Sn).
The inferred lode horizon – which could contain high grade base metal mineralization along its strike length – is interpreted to extend well beyond the limits of the current drill coverage (possibly for kilometres) based on interpretation of the aeromagnetic and gravity data. This provides a strong focus for ongoing exploration for BHT mineralization in the area.
To find out more, please visit www.ausquestlimited.com.au
Tor read more news from the assay, please visit www.theassay.com/news/
