Diamond drilling results obtained by a Catalyst Metals Limited (ASX: CYL) led joint venture have confirmed a new gold-mineralised zone parallel to and below the main Tomorrow Zone at the Tandarra Gold Project in Victoria.
The Tandarra Gold Project is owned in joint venture by Catalyst (51%) and Navarre (49%) and is located along the Whitelaw Fault, about 40 kilometres north of Bendigo. The Whitelaw Fault is considered to be a major structural control of gold mineralisation at Bendigo, extending northwards to the Murray River.
The vertical “stacking” or repetition of gold-mineralised horizons is a characteristic of auriferous quartz reef systems both at Bendigo and the Fosterville goldfields. The demonstration of repeated zones of gold mineralisation enhances the economic potential of Tandarra.
The 2019 Tandarra diamond drilling programme targeted interpreted stacked repetitions.
Of six drill holes completed four effectively tested the target, a sandstone unit dissected by west-dipping faults as indicated in the cross-section.
Best intersections returned from the six hole programme were:
- 7.0m @ 5.41g/t Au from 110m down hole, within a broader zone of 14.6m @ 2.96g/t Au
- 0.4m @ 243g/t Au from 180m down hole
- 3.0m @ 4.74g/t Au from 118m down hole
These complement previously reported intersections in the uppermost blocks of the fault-dissected sandstone of:
- 16.0 metres @ 1.83g/t Au from 148 metres down hole
- 24.0 metres @ 4.20g/t Au including 6.0 metres @ 14.30g/t Au from 100 metres
- 8.0 metres @ 3.62g/t Au including 1.0 metres @ 22.1g/t Au from 149 metres
- 6.0 metres @ 2.70g/t Au including 1.0 metres @ 14.0g/t Au from 166 metres
- 10.0m @ 4.78g/t including 1.0m @ 30.6g/t Au from 107 metres down hole
Bruce Kay, Catalyst’s Technical Director said more closely spaced drilling will be required to define the extent and continuity of mineralisation within this ~300-metre long zone of highly prospective, gold-mineralised geology in the depth interval 100-200 metres below surface, which remains open to both north and south.
“The diamond drilling at Tandarra has confirmed the presence of a deeper parallel zone of gold mineralisation which is about 300 metres long but still requires more diamond drill testing along the plunge to the north and south.”
Planning for the next phase of drilling is underway and is expected to commence following completion of harvesting operations, typically in December.
