Calidus Resources Limited (ASX:CAI) has obtained strong assays results which reveal a high-grade zone within the recent Felix discovery at the Blue Spec project in the Pilbara region of WA.
The drilling programme initially comprised 19 widely spaced scout holes to test approximately two km strike length of a zone of strong gold-in-soil anomalies associated with the Blue Spec Fault Zone and extending for more than three km. Following receipt of results from the first two holes, another 12 holes were added to the programme. Owing to the hilly topography, a small-footprint rig was used for the maiden programme.
The drilling results show the likelihood of two mineralisation styles: high-grade shear- hosted gold possibly analogous to the one ounce per tonne Blue Spec and lower-grade, broad zones of gold hosted in sandstone. Importantly, the bonanza-grade intercept in hole 22GORC016 is located only 25m below surface.
The initial drill programme at Felix has exceeded all expectations. To have hit bonanza grades that are analogous to the nearby one ounce per tonne Blue Spec deposit is very exciting,” Managing Director Dave Reeves said.
“The Blue Spec deposit has been mined to 300m depth so to have intercepts similar in tenor at 25m depth obviously makes this our highest priority target to define as it could significantly alter the economics of the greater Blue Spec Project.
“In addition, the broader lower grade mineralisation could provide a sweetener to the Warrawoona Plant as its tenor appears to be higher than that currently being processed.”
E46/1026
Exploration Licence E46/1026 is located about 11km ENE of the township of Nullagine, in the east Pilbara region. The tenement is considered prospective for mineralisation like that at the Blue Spec mine, which is less than 5km to the east of E46/1026. The absence of any historic stream sediment and soil sampling and drilling on E46/1026 means that the potential of the tenement is largely untested. Furthermore, there is no evidence of any prospecting activity, modern or historic, in the area.
The entire tenement lies within metasedimentary rocks of the 2980-2930 Ma Mosquito Creek Basin. Gold deposits across the basin largely consist of quartz-vein hosted Au±Sb mineralization4 associated with flexures or oblique cross-cutting structures of the main E- to ENE-trending shear zones. The deposits at Blue Spec and Gold Spec, immediately east of E46/1026, are very high-grade, narrow quartz lodes.
On 2 August 2022, Calidus announced a zone of strong gold-in-soil anomalism defined over >3km strike length within the Blue Spec Fault Zone on E46/1026 west of the Blue Spec mine3. The main zone of anomalism is coincident with an outer envelope of carbonate alteration, an inner envelope of hematite alteration, and quartz-ankerite veins.
Drilling results
Thirty-one holes for 3,081m were drilled in November 2022. The original 20-hole programme consisted of lines spaced about 150-200m apart, depending on where topography allowed ready access for the drill rig. Nine additional holes comprising infill lines were drilled, mainly in the western part of the area. Another three holes were drilled at -60° underneath holes drilled at -40° to provide better constraints on the orientation of mineralised zones.
The best intercepts, using a cut-off of 0.5g/t Au, a minimum width of 1.0m, and a maximum of 2.0m of internal waste, consist of:
- 6.0m @ 40.15g/t Au from 38m (including 1m @ 220.17g/t Au from 39m) and 9.0m @ 1.07g/t Au in 22GORC016,
- 7.0m @ 4.52g/t Au from 46m in 22GORC004 (including 2m @ 11.78g/t Au from 48m),
- 22m @ 1.36g/t Au from 34m and 19m @ 1.13g/t Au from 60m in 22GORC023,
- 7.0m @ 0.86g/t Au from 70m in 22GORC 024, and
- 6.0m @ 0.88 g/t Au from 86m in 22BSRC029.
These results are in addition to the intercept of 41m @ 2.37g/t Au from 32m in 22GORC009 previously reported on the 28 November 2022
