Maximus Resources Ltd (ASX:MXR, OTC:MXRRF) welcomes high-grade assay results from follow-up rock chip sampling at its 100%-owned Eagles Nest Gold Project within the Kambalda–Widgiemooltha region of Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields.
The samples, taken from outcropping bedrock across the underexplored Eagles Nest gold-in-soil trend, returned significant gold assays in all 24 samples, extending the gold mineralisation to 3.2 kilometres in strike length.
Several compelling priority drill targets were identified north and south of the 42,550-ounce at 2.0 g/t gold Eagles Nest deposit.
These targets were identified through historical soil sampling, which outlined a highly anomalous gold-in-soils trend coinciding with prominent aeromagnetic features and areas of structural deformation.
Maximus’ Golden Eagles Prospect, including gold rock chip samples over regional aeromagnetics with wide-spaced legacy drilling (white).
“The high-grade rock chip samples strongly correlate with a distinct magnetic feature, which extends across the gold mineralised trend, providing compelling drill targets,” Maximus managing director Tim Wither said.
“These results confirm our belief that the underexplored Eagles Nest trend presents significant resource growth potential for the company.
Field mapping
Maximus also completed additional field mapping along a major regional gold trend, encompassing the Eagles Nest gold deposit.
“In between ongoing RC drill programs, the Maximus team completed additional field mapping of outcropping bedrock across the ~3-kilometre-long Eagles Nest trend,” Wither said.
The combination of an extensive gold-in-soil anomaly, field mapping and high-grade surface rock chip correlating with distinct magnetic features strongly supports drill testing of targets.
Eagles Nest gold trend
Despite the promising gold occurrences, the Eagles Nest-Ground Lark corridor remains significantly under-explored.
The Eagles Nest trend lies within Maximus’ 100% gold rights on granted mining tenements owned by WIN Metals Ltd. Maximus’ gold rights were those retained by Western Mining Corporation (WMC) following the 2001 sale of the Mt Edwards Nickel Project.
Since then, the trend has seen only limited gold-focused exploration, highlighting a significant opportunity for discovery in this under-explored region. Historical exploration was limited to wide-spaced, shallow RAB drill traverses, which revealed broad zones of gold mineralisation.
Wither said, “Due to the ownership structure and commodity focus, Maximus’ southern gold rights have remained largely untested since the acquisition of WMC gold rights in 2001.
“Prior exploration work has been nickel-focused, with the majority of drilling/sampling not assayed for gold, which leaves a significant amount of fertile ground underexplored."
Maximus’ Eagles Nest is named in reference to the 1,135-ounce ‘Golden Eagle’ gold nugget found in 1931 near the Eagles Nest deposit, which remains the largest gold nugget found in Western Australia.
Looking ahead
These latest rock chip assay results significantly upgrade the prospectivity of the Eagles Nest corridor and warrant a focused exploration drill program.
Maximus continues to expand field mapping, rock chip sampling, and structural modelling to interpret gold-mineralised structures. Having received the required Program of Works permits, the company will complete several scout RC drill holes.
“The team has also been re-logging legacy drill core, which has not been assayed for gold, in areas across Maximus’ gold rights where gold mineralisation may be present. This re-logging of the legacy holes is intended to assist future drill programs at several gold targets in the region,” added Wither.