A small exploratory program of aircore drilling by Carnavale Resources Ltd (ASX:CAV) has provided encouraging signs for gold mineralisation at Ghan Dam Prospect in the southwestern area of the Ora Banda South Project northwest of Kalgoorlie in WA.
There were 14 aircore holes completed at Ghan Dam for 800 metres in the program, which was targeting strike extensions to previous anomalies outlined in previous aircore drilling in the regolith.
Gold and pathfinder signs
All holes reached the target depth and were completed in fresh rock with anomalous gold and pathfinder results mainly received from the top of fresh rock interface.
Best results from the program included:
- 5 metres at 0.21 g/t gold from 48 metres;
- 8 metres at 0.12 g/t from 36 metres;
- 1 metre at 0.16 g/t from 48 metres; and
- 1 metre at 0.11 g/t from 72 metres.
The anomalous gold results are coincident with a moderate tellurium and low-level arsenic anomaly, which tracks the contacts and occurrences of the felsic porphyries intersected by the drilling.
“Provided some resolution”
CEO Humphrey Hale said: “CAV is pleased to extend exploration at Ora Banda, whilst the company’s main focus remains on the development of the Kookynie Gold Project.
"This small aircore program has provided some resolution around the existing gold anomalies and the relationship with the geology.
"Mineralisation is associated with the contact with the Kurrawang formation, the Carnage shear structure and the felsic intrusives.
"The Ora Banda South Gold Project is host to kilometre scale gold anomalies at the Carnage and Highlander prospects that have the potential to host a substantial gold deposit. It is Carnavale’s aim to discover a new gold deposit under cover, analogous to Invincible.”
Location map with geochemical contours over regional aero magnetics.
Carnavale has already identified the Carnage and Highlander prospects as host to extensive kilometre-scale gold anomalies in the regolith.
Favourable geology
The project contains favourable geology with the potential to host a significant gold deposit, with major shear structures cross-cutting a sedimentary basin with a substantial regolith gold anomaly identified by CAV in aircore.
Prospective geochemistry in arsenic, tin, tungsten and bismuth correlates with the best gold anomalism suggesting an intrusion-related source for the gold system.
The Ora Banda South Project has an analogous geological setting target to the +2.5 million ounces at +4 g/t gold Invincible Gold Mine, discovered by Gold Fields Limited near Kambalda in 2012.
What is next?
Carnavale is reviewing the geochemistry with the structural information and geology to plan further exploration at Ora Banda South to discover the source of the substantial gold anomalism discovered in the regolith.
The exploration aim is to discover a large-scale gold deposit within the sedimentary package on the Carnage shear analogous to the St Ives discovery.
Earlier reconnaissance RC drilling at the Carnage Prospect intersected isolated high-grade gold in fresh rock which suggests that there may be a larger fresh rock gold system that is responsible for the extensive, kilometre-scale, regolith gold anomalies at the project.