Battery Minerals Limited (ASX: BAT) has its maiden diamond drilling programme in the White Rabbit District at the Stavely-Stawell Gold-Copper Project in Victoria, Australia.
The planned diamond drilling activity comprises 1300m and is designed to test priority gold targets at the Coxs Find, Frankfurt and Cosmopolitan Prospects.
The Coxs Find Prospect is defined by multiple high-grade rockchip results, up to 430g/t Au associated with sericite-silica-pyrite alteration. The mineralization has been characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and laser ablation ICPMS mineral chemistry (La-ICPMS), which indicates an association between gold and bedrock (primary) sulphides (pyrite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite).
Given the sulphide association and likely bedrock source of the high-grade gold at surface, an Induced Polarisation (IP) geophysical survey was conducted to map the distribution of sulphides and define priority drill targets.
The location of a strong (>20mv/v), discrete, chargeability anomaly beneath end of hole Air Core gold anomalism (MOYI-24) and strongly anomalous rockchips, indicates IP chargeability may provide a direct targeting indicator.
The effectiveness of the technique has resulted in a planned extension of the survey due to commence in early June 2023, designed to identify additional drill targets and to enable 3D modelling of the data.
The Frankfurt Prospect is characterized by an open >160m wide target zone of strong multipoint gold in Air Core anomalism associated with a ‘fertile’ multielement signature (8.0m @0.79g/t Au from 27m to EOH).
Recent infill and extensional Air Core drilling comprising 59 holes for 2502m, will further define the extents of anomalism with results to refine the position of diamond drilling.
The Cosmopolitan Prospect comprises 500m of north-south trending historical pits and underground workings that were exploited to the water table at a depth of approximately 40m. Quartz veins from waste rock piles surrounding the workings have returned up to 24g/t Au and have been observed to contain visible molybdenum and pyrite.
Upcoming diamond drilling will test multiple interpreted orebody geometries beneath the most significant historical workings.
For further information please visit: https://www.batteryminerals.com/
