Ballymore Resources Limited (ASX:BMR) has confirmed the extension to bonanza-grade mineralisation encountered in historic mines in exploration at the company’s Dittmer Gold Project, located near Proserpine in North Queensland.
The Stage 2 underground drilling programme has been completed and assay results have been received.
Following the Stage 1 drilling programme in 2021, Ballymore interpreted a fault displacement of the high-grade Duffer lode and the current Stage 2 programme was designed to test this interpretation.
All three holes in the Stage 2 programme intersected quartz-chalcopyrite veining similar in style to ore mined in the historic, high-grade Dittmer mine with significant gold +/- copper mineralisation logged.
Drill hole DTDD009 intersected significant quartz-chalcopyrite veining and reported 4.3m @ 29.02 g/t Au, 11.1 g/t Ag & 0.81% Cu from 118.4m, including 2.25m @ 54.9 g/t Au, 20.6 g/t Ag & 1.52% Cu from 118.4m and 0.5m @ 171.8 g/t Au, 56.4 g/t Ag & 5.28% Cu from 120.15m.
“These early drilling results are exceptional and have demonstrated the potential for this area to host significant additional high-grade gold-copper mineralisation,” Technical Director, David A-Izzeddin.
“The Dittmer Mine was one of the highest-grade gold mines in Australia when operating and it is now apparent that the original mine workings ceased in the 1950’s due to the lode being faulted out.
“Our discovery of the high-grade fault-displaced extension to this historic mine is an exciting outcome, confirming our original interpretation. These results represent a significant advancement for the Project, providing confidence to move towards resource definition through further drilling.
“In addition, recent field work has confirmed the potential for the system to extend substantially beyond the historic Dittmer mine with an opportunity to extend along strike and into nearby target areas of similar vein-hosted mineralisation as well as the potential for bulk breccia zones at the intersection of structures.
“The Dittmer project has many of the ingredients of a larger Intrusive-Related Gold System (IRGS) with similarities to the Ravenswood gold mine.
“Further work is planned to evaluate the broader regional potential. Ballymore is the largest tenement holder in the area with four exploration permits covering an area of 488 sq. km as well as two granted mining leases, positioning the company well for future success.”
The Dittmer Mine (also known as Kelsey Creek) is historically the largest mining operation in the Proserpine region and exploited the Duffer Reef.
After its discovery in 1934, it became one of the highest-grade gold mines in Australia. From 1935 to 1951 it produced over 54,500 oz of gold (1,696 kg), 23,400 oz of silver (728 kg) and 295 long tons of copper (300 t) from 17,100 long tons of ore. P
roduction figures are incomplete after 1947, but between 1935 and 1947 reported production figures indicate that the mine operated at an average mined grade of 151.1g/t Au 66.8g/t Ag and 2.8% Cu.
Upcoming Activities
• Receive remaining assay results from the Ruddygore Stage 1 drilling programme – Results are expected to arrive by August
• Complete Phase 2 drilling program at Seventy Mile Mount (Ravenswood Project)
• Commence King Solomon drilling programme (Ravenswood Project)
• Complete mapping and soil sampling at Cedar Ridge and Andromache (Dittmer Project)
• Complete IP survey at Day Dawn (Ravenswood Project)
• Complete mapping and IP survey at Maniopota (Ruddygore Project)
For further information please visit: http://www.ballymoreres.com/
