Challenger Exploration (ASX: CEL) has obtained promising new drill results from the company’s flagship Hualilan Gold Project in San Juan, Argentina.
GNDD-397, the first hole drilled from surface, targeting up-dip extensions of the high-grade mineralisation in the Hualilan Hills has returned outstanding results. The results are from the recently arrived track mounted drill rig.
Managing Director, Kris Knauer, said the drilling in the Hualilan Hills follows the results of the first rock saw channel sampling to extend above ground level, which indicated the likelihood that strongest grades occur in the Hualilan Hills. This channel sampling programme was designed to allow the inclusion of the component of the historical high-grade mineralisation, which is up-dip of the company’s drilling, in a resource estimate that can be reported according to JORC.
Results from this programme at Cerro Norte, included 15.6 metres at 71.7 g/t AuEq (inc 4.0 metres at 203.8 g/t AuEq) from approximately 100 metres up-dip from ground level, with grades trending higher as sampling moved up-dip into the Hualilan Hills.
“This is an excellent outcome from the first of our holes drilled with the small rig up-dip into the Hualilan Hills,” Mr Knauer said.
“The intercept of 3.0 metres at over 30 g/t gold equivalent confirms that the high-grade mineralisation certainly extends up-dip into the hills. Importantly, the high-grade results validate our model that the best grades at Hualilan will be found in the previously undrilled Hualilan Hills.
“With mineralisation mapped in outcrop over 1.4 kilometres of strike in the Hualilan Hills, the success of this first hole confirms the Hualilan Hills have the potential to make a significant contribution to the high-grade endowment of the Hualilan Gold Project.”
GNDD-397 returned outstanding results including 5.0m at 19.9 g/t AuEq2 – 17.3 g/t Au, 30.1 g/t Ag, 5.1% Zn from 15.0m, including; 3.0m at 32.5 g/t AuEq2 – 28.2 g/t Au, 49.8 g/t Ag, 8.3% Zn.
The hole successfully intersected the prognosed up-dip extension of the main Cerro Norte Manto. Additionally, the hole encountered two deeper zones of mineralisation, intersecting 4 metres at 0.4 g/t AuEq from 50.0m and 4 metres at 0.6 g/t AuEq from 98.0m. Both these deeper zones are hosted in intrusives and correlate with the prognosed position of the Gap Zone mineralisation, approximately 250 metres south.
For further information please visit: https://challengerex.com/
