Morning News Bites – November 5

Wiluna Mining Increase Mineral Resource.

Wiluna Mining Corporation (ASX: WMX)has reported an increase to the Mineral Resource for the Wiluna Mining Centre, as part of the Company’s ongoing Sulphide Development plan.

Wiluna reported a 4.24Moz @ 4.89 g/t High Grafe Mineral Resource at the Wiluna Mining Centre, which is 11% more than reported in September, and 8.04Moz @ 1.63 g/t total mineral resource for the company.

Mining studies will be conducted to assess various mining options ranging from selective high-grade underground mining to bulk open pit and underground mining, or a combination of methods.

Wiluna Mining Executive Chair, Milan Jerkovic, commented:  “Our ongoing $30 million drilling campaign has focused on high-grade areas with the potential to be mined at the start of our Sulphide Development schedule. Drilling has successfully added tonnes, improved the grade and improved the portion within Measured and Indicated confidence categories. We are delighted by these results because they build upon our strategy to enhance the very large, high-grade Wiluna Mineral Resource. Drilling has been supported by our teams diligent efforts to extract maximum value from the large amount of existing historical drilling and mining data, including assaying of intervals of mineralisation from the historical core library which comprises over 800km of core. These efforts have contributed to the impressive growth in our Mineral Resource base.

Investigator’s Paris Silver Project Yields High Grades.

Investigator Resources (ASX: IVR) announced that the Paris Silver Project is the highest-grade undeveloped primary silver project in Australia. With a JORC 2012 resource of 9.3 Mt @ 139g/t Ag and 0.6% Pb for 42 Moz contained silver and 55 kt contained lead, Paris is a shallow, high-grade silver deposit amenable to open pit mining.

Investigator’s Managing Director, Andrew McIlwain said: “We believe these initial and preliminary results support our objective with this infill campaign of improving both the grade and confidence in the estimated resource.

Drilling started on Line 8, at the northern edge of the 200m Zone” Indicated Resource block, and results from the 9 holes drilled in Lines 8 and 8.25, are expected to extend the Indicated Resource to the north. With some eyewatering grades seen in these early results, it bodes well for an increase in the average resource grade in this area”.

These initial and incomplete results from only 9 holes, of a program total of 276, along with the geological logging of the drilling to date, augurs well for the success of this program. This has provided the confidence for the Board to approve an additional 5,500m of drilling to further improve the Paris resource.

We will have assays coming through on a regular basis over the next few months and look forward to providing further updates on results”.

AusQuest Completes Initial Reconnaissance Results

AusQuest Limited (ASX: AQD) advised the market that the initial reconnaissance drilling program has been completed at the Gunanya Project in the Paterson Province of Western Australia under its Strategic Alliance Agreement with South32.

A total of seven Reverse Circulation drill holes (totalling 1,916m) spaced 200m apart across each anomaly were completed to test three magnetic targets in order to determine their potential to host gold and copper mineralisation similar to that found at Winu (by Rio Tinto) and Havieron (by Newcrest), located in the northern half of the Paterson Province.

Drill samples were collected at two metre intervals from each drill-hole and sent to Perth for analysis. Assay results are expected within three to four weeks, at which time an assessment of the drilling results will be undertaken.

AusQuest Managing Director Graeme Drew said the Company was pleased to have successfully completed initial reconnaissance drilling of the Gunanya targets even though not all the magnetic targets had been properly tested.

We have seen signs of alteration and sulphide mineralisation, albeit pyrite, in both the basement lithologies and the overlying sediments,” he said. but assays are required before any proper assessment of the drilling results can be made.”

Final assay data should be available over the next 3-4 weeks and we look forward to reporting on the final results once we have had time to analyse the data” he continued.

Yandal Resource Estimate for Flushing Meadows.

Yandal Resources Ltd (ASX: YRL) released an updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Flushing Meadows gold deposit, part of its 100% owned Ironstone Well gold project near Wiluna in the Yandal Greenstone Belt of Western Australia.

The prospect is located 60km south- west of the mining town of Wiluna in close proximity to a number of gold development projects and operating mines.  The estimate contains a total 7.4Mt @ 1.13g/t Au for 268,000oz and utilised sample data from 420 RC drill holes and four diamond drill holes.

Yandal Resources’ Managing Director; Mr Lorry Hughes commented:

Compared to the 2019 Mineral Resource Estimate the new estimate has a 60% increase in tonnage and a 12% reduction in grade for an overall 40% increase in total contained ounces. Importantly the new estimate has a 109% increase in material reporting to the higher confidence Indicated Resource category and the bulk of the mineralisation is located above 100m vertical depth.

The mineralisation remains open at depth and there are high priority exploration targets along strike and in adjacent positions that are being drilled currently. The Company plans to aggressively pursue Resource growth over the next two years with a large proportion of the exploration budget directed within a 10km radius of Flushing Meadows including the Oblique and Quarter Moon prospects where significant historic mineralisation occurs.

The Company has a dual strategy to prepare our most advanced prospects ready for mining whilst pursuing exploration targets capable of hosting multi-million ounce gold deposits known to occur in areas close to our projects”.

US Election and Gold.

It would seem the price of gold is fluctuating slightly as the fortunes of both candidates change throughout the vote count.  Some analysts believe that a Biden win will be good for the gold price and conversely Trump winning would see downward pressure on the metal price.

At the moment, with Biden looking set to win the election we could see gold remain above the US$1,900 and move toward the $US$2,000 mark again.

Gold has remained fairly stable compared to the last US election when it became obvious that Trump would win and gold soared by about US$150 , but only briefly.

Morning News Bites – October 1

Morning News Bites for September 30. PM to announce $1.5 billion manufacturing boost to bring 80k jobs to Australia, experts predicting that half of Australian university researchers face the axe and Victoria COVID-19 death toll reaches 800.

Cyprium Metals Limited commenced analysing the potential of the Nanadie Well Copper-Gold Project, which is located 75km east-northeast of its existing Cue Copper-Gold Project, in Western Australia. The supergene mineralisation has been intersected in shallow drilling over a strike length of 750 metres and remains open along strike in both directions. Typical supergene intersections include, 6m @ 4.79% Cu, 0.36 g/t Au, 1.83 g/t Ag from 1m and 8m @ 2.53% Cu, 0.69 g/t Au, 3.88 g/t Ag from 33m in drill hole. Executive Director Barry Cahill commented, saying “We are pleased to announce the preliminary results of the geological interpretation that we have undertaken at the Nanadie Well Copper-Gold Project. There is significant potential for shallow supergene copper-gold mineralisation above the sulphide mineralisation at Nanadie Well.”

Thomson Resources Ltd has advised that it has completed due diligence on the Hortons gold tenement it is acquiring from private company, Syndicate Minerals Pty Ltd to Thomson’s satisfaction. The Hortons gold tenement is situated 30km of Tenterfield in Northern NSW and has high potential for Intrusion-Related Gold System type gold mineralization. The tenement covers 58 sq. km and has several gold anomalies. This is the first of the key Conditions Precedent to Thomson’s acquisition of the Hortons gold project. The next steps towards completion of the acquisition will now be proceeded with, including, obtaining Thomson shareholder approval to the issue of the equity consideration, this will be sought at the AGM on 26 October 2020 and with Ministerial approval of the transfer of the tenement to Thomson.

Further to its announcement of 16th July, AusQuest Limited reported that drilling of several compelling gold-copper targets at the Gunanya Project in the Paterson region of Western Australia is set to commence in early October under its Strategic Alliance Agreement with South32. The reverse circulation drilling program will consist of 6 to 9 drill-holes for a total of ~1,800m, and will provide an initial test of three magnetic targets to determine their potential to host large-scale gold and copper mineralisation, similar to that found at Winu (by Rio Tinto) and Havieron (by Newcrest). AusQuest Managing Director Graeme Drew said the Company was pleased that drilling of the Gunanya targets was able to get underway this late in the season. “These are compelling targets based on analogies that we have been able to draw with new discoveries in the Paterson Region from both a gold and a copper perspective,” he said. “We are looking forward to reporting on the drilling at Gunanya once the program gets underway.”

Bellevue Gold Limited is pleased to announce that extensional and infill exploration drilling at the Bellevue Gold Project in Western Australia has intersected high-grade mineralisation both outside and within the existing know resource boundary. Drilling has been continuing on site and has included infill drilling to upgrade the indicated resource later in the December quarter and the resumption of exploration step out drilling at the project. Hits up to 163g/t also point to extensions of the Deacon, Deacon North and Bellevue
Lodes; Indicated Resource upgrade set for this quarter. Managing Director Steve Parsons said the Company’s investment in exploration drilling continued to create significant value for Bellevue stakeholders.
“We have hit more high-grade mineralisation in previously-untested areas,” Mr Parsons said. “These results extend the known limits of the mineralisation. At the same time, our infill drilling continues to return strong results which should help drive an increase in the Indicated Resource.”

Barra Resources Limited is pleased to advise that reverse circulation and diamond drilling is scheduled to commence mid-late October at the Burbanks Gold Project. The drilling program will specifically follow-up encouraging RC drill results from 2019 which intersected high-grade mineralisation to depths of 100m below the surface, along 600m of prospective strike along the Burbanks Shear Zone between the Main Lode underground mine and the Burbanks North deposit. Mineralisation is open at depth and the planned program aims to test the prospective 600m of strike to depths between 130m and 350m below surface where mineralisation is open and untested. The drilling program is estimated to take between 4 and 6 weeks with results to be announced within 2 weeks of program completion.

Morning News Bites – September 18

Morning News Bites for September 18. Indian company Adani has starting digging its controversial Carmichael coal mine in Central Queensland, New Zealand in recession after record 12pc contraction and changes to Job Seeker, with recipients needing to search for eight jobs a month to receive the payment. 

Venus Metals Corporation Limited in conjunction with Rox Resources Limited reported the results of recent reverse circulation (RC) drilling at Sovereign Prospect. RC drilling followed up on previous AC and RC results and extended the high‐grade gold mineralisation down dip. Highlights include, 8m @ 5.03 g/t Au from 160m, including 2m @ 15.83 g/t Au from 160m and 3m @ 2.86 g/t Au from 165m. An interpretation of recent ground‐magnetic surveys covering Currans Find and Sovereign Prospect shows prominent northeast (NE) and north‐northeast (NNE) trending structures that align with the orientation of high‐grade gold mineralisation at the Taylor’s Reef, Currans North and Red White and Blue prospects.  Based on the ground‐magnetic data, six priority targets have been identified along NE trends in the  eastern part of the survey area and one of these priority targets is located immediately west of the Sovereign gold discovery.  RC drilling is planned west and southwest of the Sovereign discovery to test this target, and beneath previous high‐grade gold intersections.

AusQuest Limited reported that the reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the Tangadee Zinc Project in Western Australia has been successfully completed with South32. A total of five widely spaced drill-holes were completed for 1,352m to test down-dip from a large zinc (>1,000ppm Zn) / thallium (>5ppm Tl) soil anomaly that was considered to be the surface expression of potential sediment-hosted zinc mineralisation at depth. Drilling intersected a thick sequence (>200m) of black carbonaceous mudstones containing abundant very fine-grained pyrite (iron sulphide), but no obvious visual signs of significant base metal (zinc) mineralisation. Composite samples were collected over two-metre intervals in every drill-hole and sent to the
Genalysis Intertek Laboratory in Perth for analysis. Assays are expected over the coming weeks, after which an assessment of the drilling results will be completed.

Artemis Resources Limited update on its Pilbara gold projects in Western Australia. 2,500m Carlow Castle Diamond Drilling has commenced as part of Project One Million. It’s primary aims are to expand the mineralised envelope which remains open in multiple directions and lift the central portion of the current resource area to the indicated category. Geophysics program to start at Carlow Castle in mid-October, which will include dipole-dipole IP, Gradient array IP and high-resolution magnetics and radiometrics. Reverse Circulation drilling to start mid-October at Carlow Castle and aims to complete further extensional drilling and test any potential anomalies identified by the concurrent IP survey.

Firm commitments received by Renascor Resources Limited for a placement to raise $3.6 million to fund work streams for Renascor’s. These include Siviour Battery Anode Material Project – containing the world’s second largest reported Proven Reserve of graphite on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. The Carnding Gold Project, drill-ready, high-grade, near-surface gold prospects in emerging gold province in Central Gawler Craton, South Australia. Managing Director David Christensen commented, saying ” Despite the uncertainties created by COVID-19, we are confident in the longer term demand for lithium-ion battery anode materials such as the purified spherical graphite we will produce from Siviour. Additionally, we are excited to now be able to move ahead with a greater depth and breadth of exploration and development at Carnding.”

Gold and base metals explorer Carawine Resources Limited has entered into an agreement to include Carawine’s “Eider” tenement in the Coolbro JVA with FMG Resources Pty Ltd. Eider is 35km southwest of Newcrest’s Telfer gold operations and 35km southeast of Metals X’s Nifty copper operations in the highly prospective Paterson province of Western Australia. Fortescue to pay $50,000 cash up front, complete a helicopter-borne electromagnetic (“HeliEM”) survey and 1,000m of drilling on Eider. Carawine Managing Director David Boyd said, “Although at an early exploration stage, Eider has an excellent address and is considered highly prospective. Fortescue have agreed to complete an airborne geophysical survey and drilling program before they can earn an interest in the tenements, thereby providing a commitment to exploring the tenement along with our other Coolbro JVA tenements.”