DeGrey Mining Ltd (ASX:DEG) is heading into the next phase of its drilling programme at the Aquila prospect at its major Hemi gold discovery in Western Australia on a high after a series of strong results from a new AC and RC drilling campaign.
Technical Director, Andy Beckwith, said the overall scale of Hemi continues to increase with dimensions growing to approximately 2.5km north to south and 2km west to east with three main zones (Aquila, Brolga and Crow) defined within this large gold system.
The Aquila Zone has recently been extended to approximately 1.6km potential strike with the western portion having only received shallow aircore drilling to date.
These new results confirm a potential large extension to the Aquila gold system,” Mr Beckwith said.
“This initial RC drilling programme has noted altered intrusion in the first four holes drilled, with visible gold noted in hole HERC232 in two separate 1m intervals.
“The observation of quartz-hosted visible gold in altered intrusion early in the RC program is very encouraging. Visible gold has not been noted in the previous Brolga or Aquila drilling.
“Further drilling is planned at Aquila based on alteration and the visible gold observed to date.
“The recent extensional drilling at Aquila represents one aspect of the company’s strategy to grow its mineralized footprint at Hemi.
“Aircore drilling is also underway targeting the known mineralized intrusions at Scooby and Antwerp as well as other intrusion targets identified through the recently completed aeromagnetic survey.”
Recent aircore drilling has targeted the along strike extension of the Aquila zone to the west. Results received, coupled with previous results (which include 33m @ 1.5g/t Au in aircore hole BWAC567) confirm a 400m strike extension to the southwest of the main Aquila zone. Initial RC drilling indicates the intrusion is up to 50m true thickness.
The company reported that three RC holes (HERC141/142 and HERC241) were attempted immediately after the aircore drilling was completed based on encouraging altered intrusion logged in the aircore holes. Drilling issues related to the transported cover material were encountered and the holes were abandoned prematurely at shallow depths of 59m, 60m and 120m respectively.
Additional drilling equipment has since arrived on site and drilling is well advanced. Significantly, these shallow RC holes intersected strong gold mineralisation with two holes ending in mineralisation.
Meanwhile, a programme of 16 RC holes designed to test mineralisation to 200m below surface along the 400m of strike potential is currently underway, with visible gold observed in two sections of one hole.
The observation of visible gold early in the RC programme is highly encouraging, as very little visible gold has been noted in the previous Brolga or Aquila drilling. The presence of quartz veining is also not generally seen elsewhere in drilling to date at Hemi.
Additional aircore to extend the intrusion to the south is currently underway. Additional RC drilling will be added to the programme based on the positive visual logging and final assay results.
The drilling has been rotated east to west as the new mineralisation trend is orientated north south.