Mamba Exploration Limited (ASX: M24) has significantly upgraded the historical anomalies at the Calyerup Creek Gold Project in the Great Southern region of Western Australia through recent soil sampling.
The company collected 1,253 soil samples over the southern portion of E70/4998 and northern portion of the recently granted E70/5707, to confirm and extend the historical soil anomalies and as an initial test of the granite / metasedimentary contact to the south.
Sampling undertaken on nominal 200m spaced lines with 20m spaced sample points has identified two significant gold trends that each extend for more than 1,400 metres from west to east in the southern portion of E70/4998.
The Southern trend extends for 1,400m and covers the historical southern workings, which have historically been drilled to approximately 25m vertical depth over a total strike length of 140m.
The new sampling has significantly extended the high-grade core of the anomaly with a +100 ppb soil anomaly extending for over 400m, with a peak soil result of 1,927 ppb (1.9 g/t) gold, identified to the east of the southern workings.
Managing Director, Mike Dunbar, said given the historical shallow drilling intersected mineralisation including 9m @ 4.71 g/t gold (CCRC8), 5m @ 4.77 g/t gold (CCRC6) and 9m @ 2.63 g/t gold (WLCC-P12) (see M24 Prospectus dated 14 December for details) and the fact that less than 10% of the southern trend has been tested by the shallow drilling, the potential for the system to host significant mineralisation is considered to be high.
The Northern trend also extends for 1,400m east west and remains open to the east. This trend has no historical drilling or workings. The peak soil sample result from the Northern trend was 1,735 ppb (1.7 g/t) gold. This is clearly a significant result and this trend warrants further investigation.
As a result of the significant upgrade in the anomalies when compared to historical sampling, Mamba has planned a further programme of infill and extensional sampling. This follow-up sampling will be completed either late in Q3 or early Q4 CY21 when the winter rains abate.
Winter rains in the Great Southern of Western Australia, has postponed the drilling programme planned for the June quarter. Mamba will now modify its drill plans to account for the new geochemical sample results.
Additionally, Mamba has planned a flora and fauna survey for September to allow the new high priority targets to be drilled as part of the revised drill programme. Mamba expects to complete this revised drill programme in the December quarter.
The recent geochemical sampling has significantly improved the historical soil anomalies. To identify two soil trends with gold grades of up to 1.9 g/t from the southern trend and 1.7 g/t from the northern trend is an excellent result. Additionally, to have the higher grade (+100 ppb gold) core of the southern trend extend for over 400m, significantly larger than the footprint of the historical shallow southern workings, highlights the potential of the system,” Mr Mike Dunbar said.
“With this new data incorporated, the drill programme is being refined. This programme is now expected to be completed in the December quarter after follow-up soil sampling and a detailed flora and fauna survey has been completed.
“Meanwhile, the company is also continuing to progress the Darling Range, Ashburton and Kimberley exploration projects, with project updates for each of the other projects expected in the coming weeks.”
The Calyerup Creek Gold Project is located approximately 15km to the east of Jerramungup, in the Great Southern region of Western Australia and consists of two granted exploration licences near the contact of the Albany Fraser Complex and the Yilgarn Craton. The area is dominated by high-grade metamorphic rocks similar to the Albany Fraser complex known to host significant gold deposits, including the Tropicana Gold Mine. Other than soil sampling, the Project has had very little modern exploration.
There are three historical prospects (Northern, Central and Southern) on the Project which have undergone limited drilling. The Northern and Central prospects have most recently been drilled in 2011, while the Southern prospect has not been drilled since it was discovered in 1989.