Antipa Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZY) continues to intersect shallow high-grade gold mineralisation during drilling at the GEO-01 target within its 100%-owned Minyari Dome Gold-Copper Project in the Paterson Province of Western Australia.
Drilling here, part of the now completed Phase 2 CY2023 exploration campaign at Minyari Dome, consisted of two Western Australian Government Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) co-funded diamond core holes for a total of 762 metres and 25 reverse circulation (RC) drill holes for a total of 4,024 metres.
Assays have now been returned for 26 of the 27 drill holes, with results for the second diamond core drill hole expected in February next year.
The mineral exploration company completed more than 11,200 metres of RC, diamond and aircore drilling under the phase 2 CY2023 Minyari Dome program.
Not the end
GEO-01, just 1.3 kilometres from the 1.5-million-ounce Minyari gold-copper deposit, is a near-surface resource offering substantial opportunities for growth.
The latest assay results returned noteworthy intersections such as:
- 62 metres at 0.8 g/t gold from 94 metres down hole in 23MYC0422, including 1 metre at 2.1 g/t from 97 metres and 18 metres at 1.3 g/t from 119 metres;
- 70 metres at 0.64 g/t gold and 0.03% copper from 16 metres down hole in 23MYC0421, including 22 metres at 1.3 g/t gold and 0.05% copper from 16 metres, 2 metres at 1.3 g/t gold and 0.03% copper from 47 metres, and 2 metres at 1.8 g/t gold and 0.05% copper from 73 metres; and
- 8 metres at 2.2 g/t gold from 136 metres down hole in 23MYC0424, including 2 metres at 5.6 g/t from 142 metres.
Preparations are already underway to test newly identified high-priority targets at GEO-01 in the new year.
Significant resource
“We are delighted with the initial assays returned from our recently completed Phase 2 CY2023 exploration drilling program at Minyari Dome,” Antipa managing director Roger Mason said.
“Results from this round of drilling at the GEO-01 discovery continue to demonstrate multiple notable zones of high-grade gold, and with mineralisation open in most directions, it is quickly firming up as a significant potential maiden resource opportunity.
“With results outstanding from diamond drilling at Tetris and assays pending from the expanded regional aircore program around GEO-01, we have lots to look forward to in the new year.”
Scratching the surface
The Tetris target, about 35 kilometres northeast of the Minyari deposit, bears significant geophysical likeness to Greatland Gold’s Havieron gold-copper deposit.
Antipa's diamond drilling at this greenfield target's 23TSD0001 covered about 150 horizontal metres of the basement, which is just 12% of the 1,200 horizontal-metre Tetris footprint.
Assay results are expected to be returned in February 2024.
Tetris diamond core from drill hole 23TSD0001.
Phase 3 upcoming
The CY2024 Minyari Dome exploration program includes 6,000 metres of RC and 5,000 metres of diamond core drilling scheduled to commence in March next year.
Work here will include completion of drilling at the three Pacman greenfield targets, PM1, PM2 and PM3, utilising further WA funding grants amounting to $660,000.