Maiden DD Test Of Main Lode
Great Southern Mining (ASX: GSN) has commenced an extensive Reverse Circulation (RC) and Diamond drill programme at the Cox’s Find Project in Western Australia.
Chief Operating Officer, Mark Major, said the programme is designed to build on the company’s recent drilling success at the historic high-grade gold mine (historic production of 107,000 tonnes at an average grade of 22g/t gold for 77,000 ounces).
Mr Major said recent RC drill results highlighted the remnant high-grade gold mineralisation remains with sections of the underground development still untested. Standout recent RC results include:
- 8m at 9.43 g/t gold from 73m, including 1m at 44 g/t;
- 2m at 36 g/t gold from 146m, including 1m at 68 g/t;
- 5m at 14.54 g/t gold from 140m, including 2m at 28.85 g/t;
- 6m at 7.90 g/t gold from 132m, including 1m at 35.9 g/t; and
- 5m at 31.23 g/t gold from 134m, including 1m at 143.0 g/t.
“This is a very exciting time for the company as we embark on an extensive exploration drill program at Cox’s Find.
“This is an extremely high-grade deposit and has all the hallmarks of a potential modern- day underground development.
“This will be the first intensive drill programme targeting the down plunge extensions of the deposit and the first diamond drill program targeting the high-grade lode.
“This programme should enhance our structural understanding of the deposit and assist with advancing the forthcoming drill programmes at the Cox’s Find deposit and support targeting repeat structures within our tenure.”
The RC drill rig is on site and has commenced drilling the initial phase of the 9000m drilling programme, while the diamond drill rig is expected to arrive on site within a week.
The drilling programme will be in two phases. Phase one will consist of approximately 5000m of RC drilling and 500m of diamond core drilling focusing on delineating the extent of the high-grade mineralisation previously announced.
Phase two will consist of 4000m of RC drilling focusing on several of the near mine untested geological ‘look-alike’ targets.
Between these phases a 3000m drill program will be undertaken at the company’s Mon Ami Gold Project, located 80km to the south and 12km from Laverton, Western Australia.
The RC drilling is designed to test the lateral extensions of the known mineralisation as well as testing the down plunge extension on the high-grade quartz lode that was historically mined.
The diamond drilling is planned to target the recently discovered unmined high-grade panel of mineralisation intersected between level five (132mbgl) and level six (158mbgl) to gain an understanding of the structural controls of the high-grade mineralisation.
No diamond core drilling has been undertaken in the main lode of Cox’s Find and this will be the maiden drill programme of this nature.
Mr Major said the company believes this programme will provide invaluable insights into the structural setting of the high-grade mineralisation and will aid in the refinement of the geological model and assist in future drill programs at Cox’s Find and for future untested targets.
Phase two will focus on several of the new near mine exploration targets that provide untested geological ‘look- alike’ analogues for the Cox’s Find orebody that were identified and now field verified. Mr Major said ranking of the targets is underway and planning of a reconnaissance exploration drill programme is in progress as all three targets warrant follow up work.
