Alto Metals Ltd (ASX:AME) has leveraged a combination of fine fraction soil results, a review of recent and historical drilling data, and a geological structural interpretation to identify a major new gold trend at Sandstone North prospect of the Sandstone Gold Project in Western Australia.
The company believes the 6-kilometre-long trend correlates with a major north-south trending shear zone along a regional fold axis within Sandstone, in a similar position along strike to the high-grade Sandstone North prospect.
AME says the mineralisation is likely orogenic gold mineralisation which will conform to interpreted structural controls and geological models of known mineralisation in the area, based on the presence of elevated pathfinder elements like arsenic, copper and lead.
“Outstanding regional target”
“Our low-cost regional soils program has identified what appears to be a very large, structurally controlled gold target extending over six kilometres at Sandstone North,” Alto Metals managing director Matthew Bowles said.
“Limited drilling at Sandstone North, over only 300 metres of strike, has returned some exceptionally high-grade results including 15 metres at 9.1 g/t gold from 82 metres, including 3 metres at 32.1 g/t gold which ended in mineralisation.
“The style of gold mineralisation is different to other parts of the Sandstone Greenstone Belt, with mineralisation hosted within sulphidic quartz veins in sediments, which is a similar setting to Goldfields high-grade Waroonga deposit at Agnew.
“The high-grade nature of gold mineralisation, structural setting and relatively under-explored area presents an outstanding regional target.”
Importantly, the mineralisation along this new trend – which sits about 6 kilometres north of the town of Sandstone – remains open along strike and down plunge, with the majority of the 6-kilometre target as yet untested by drilling.
Strong regional upside
“Whilst the company remains focused on the Alpha Domina which hosts the current 832,000-ounce open pittable mineral resource, the Sandstone North target highlights the significant upside to the Sandstone Gold Project,” Bowles continued.
“Preparations are already underway for an initial ~5,000 metres of low-cost aircore drilling to commence early next quarter at this exciting new gold target, which has the potential to lead to the discovery of a significant, structurally hosted gold prospect at Sandstone North.”
Alto expects to begin first-pass aircore drilling early in the first quarter of 2024, once all clearances and approvals have been secured.