Vertex Minerals Limited (ASX:VTX) has recognised further near mine high grade gold targets just south of the Gravity process plant and Reward Gold Mine, Hill End NSW at the South Star group of gold mines.
Vertex is pleased to announce further exploration and resource development opportunities as its Reward Resource PFS comes closer to completion. Ground truthing of the company’s LiDAR dataset, around the South Star group of gold mines, as covered by ML’s, has revealed greater latitude for further ‘near mine’ resource growth. An extensive mapping and sampling program is being planned for summer and drill programme planning is underway,” Executive Director, Tully Richards, said.
The South Star
The South Star prospect area is located on the Hill End Anticline about two-km south of Hawkins Hill and immediately north of the Turon River. Linear arrays of old mine workings are present on both flanks of the anticline and one or more saddle reefs outcrop along the axis. Most reported historical production has come from laminated bedding-parallel quartz veins on the west limb of the anticline, with reports that some occurrences are sets of multiple veins over minable widths.
Review of existing published and in-house reports and geologic and mineral deposit maps suggests styles of mineralisation similar to that at Hawkins Hill-Reward. There is significant untested potential for Reward-type bedding-parallel fold limb vein set high-grade Au targets in the South Star area, with the caveat that the coincidence of Indicator-type feeder structures and significant bedding-parallel vein set are present. Additionally, the potential for Hargraves and Germantown-type saddle reef mineralisation has not been adequately investigated.
Historical information
Gold mineralisation was discovered in the 1860s by the Thomas Wythes party but there was little production until the claims were acquired by the South Star Gold Mining Company in 1871 and Lewis’ crusher installed on the Turon River in September 1872. By that time the South Star Mine underlay shafts on the west limb veins extended to 51.8-m.
Most reported production was from the W-dipping veins of South Star line on the west flank of the Hill End Anticline. Weber and Baker (1977) cite old reports stating that this vein averaged about 10- cm wide to a depth of 51-m and widened to 38-46 cm at 52-m after passing into a shale host, with Au present in quartz over the entire vertical extent.
It is unclear whether the vein cuts stratigraphy or this represents a facies change. Grades of 153-184 gpt Au with one sample of 540 gpt Au were reported above 51-m depth. Button (1987) quotes records of some crushings (1.4-24.5 tonnes) from South Star ranging from 15-78 gpt Au.
The South Star shaft was extended to 69-m in 1873 and mined two quartz veins 7.0-cm apart. The shaft reached 74-m in 1874 with the veins only 5-cm apart and the main vein widening. The shaft is reported at 82-m in 1877. Similar multiple quartz veins separated by less than a metre are reported from the Clan Campbell Mine to the south.
