Alto Metals Ltd (ASX:AME) has been rewarded with more high-grade gold during reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the Sandstone Gold Project’s Indomitable camp in WA.
The precious metals explorer defined mineralisation over 2.5 kilometres and intersected a high-grade gold structure in its latest campaign.
Some of the best hits, which continue to extend mineralisation beyond the current resource, include:
- 25 metres at 7.5 g/t gold from 41 metres, including 6 metres at 22.3 g/t from 56 metres and 14 metres at 1.5 g/t from 93 metres, including 3 metres at 2.2 g/t from 94 metres; and
- 15 metres at 2.8 g/t from 44 metres, including 3 metres at 12.4 g/t from 45 metres.
What does it mean?
These findings so far extend gold at Indomitable to the south, west and northeast, laying the groundwork for a resource update in the March quarter.
The gold camp is taking shape: Alto is exploring shallow, open gold mineralisation within a 20-kilometre-plus corridor.
There’s a particular focus on Indomitable East, where assays are pending for resource and extensional drilling over strike extending more than a kilometre.
Beyond that, drilling is focused on increasing the open-pittable 635,000-ounce gold resource (grading at 1.6 g/t) at Sandstone.
RC drilling is underway at the historical, high-grade Oroya Mine, where work is targeting extensions to the Sandstone reef along strike and at depth. Historical unmined results include 23 metres at 6.2 g/t gold, including 2 metres at 55.9 g/t.
Potential for “much larger system”
More strong gold hits from the Indomitable campaign include:
- 15 metres at 2.1 g/t gold from 62 metres, including 10 metres at 3 g/t from 67 metres;
- 8 metres at 2.4 g/t from 10 metres;
- 9 metres at 1.3 g/t from 54 metres, including 5 metres at 2.1 g/t from 54 metres;
- 7 metres at 1.6 g/t from 120 metres, including 1 metre at 5.9 g/t from 122 metres
- 31 metres at 0.6 g/t from 61 metres, including 5 metres at 1.1 g/t from 64 metres;
- 10 metres at 1 g/t from 60 metres, including 1 metre at 3.6 g/t from 60 metres;
- 29 metres at 1.0 g/t from 69 metres, including 7 metres at 2.2 g/t from 69 metres;
- 10 metres at 1.4 g/t from 119 metres, including 6 metres at 2.1 g/t from 119 metres;
- 4 metres at 2.1 g/t from 113 metres, including 1 metre at 7.3 g/t from 114 metres; and
- 11 metres at 0.6 g/t from 9 metres, including 5 metres at 1.1 g/t from 15 metres.
“[The assays] highlight the opportunity to further extend the shallow mineralisation at Indomitable, which remains open in all directions,” he explained.
“We are very pleased with the results from this year’s drilling, which continues to demonstrate the potential for Indomitable to be a much larger system.
“It also places the company in a great position to deliver an updated resource estimate in the March quarter of 2023.
“We are also excited to have commenced our maiden regional drilling program at the historic Oroya Mine, where previous mining was focused only on bonanza-style mineralisation within the reef and much of the surrounding mineralisation was left unmined.
“Shareholders can look forward to further updates on our exploration activities in the coming weeks.”