Rumble Resources Ltd (ASX:RTR) has extended the Chinook zinc-lead prospect at Earaheedy Project in WA after uncovering a new, 2.2-kilometre high-grade feeder structure.
The newly minted Chikamin Feeder Zone, which was discovered during maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling along the project’s Sweetwater Trend, extends into Rumble’s 100%-owned E69/3787 tenement.
Interestingly, this new feeder zone is parallel to the previously discovered Kalitan Feeder Zone, which lies 1.5 kilometres to the northeast.
Thanks to the new discovery, mineralisation at Chinook exceeds 5.5 kilometres of strike and remains open in all directions, firming up a prospective asset within the broader Earaheedy portfolio.
Moving ahead, Rumble plans to undertake more drilling, metallurgical test-work and development research as it gears up to realise Earaheedy’s full potential.
What does drilling tell us?
Some RC results of note tied to the Chikamin Feeder Zone include:
- 12 metres at 5.49% zinc+lead from 56 metres, including 6 metres at 9.90% zinc+lead from 57 metres;
- 56 metres at 2.00% zinc+lead from 103 metres, including 18 metres at 3.78% zinc+lead from 103 metres, including 14 metres at 4.25% zinc+lead from 107 metres;
- 38 metres at 2.22% zinc+lead from 83 metres, including 3 metres at 4.63% zinc+lead from 85 metres and 2 metres at 8.01% zinc+lead from 118 metres;
- 9 metres at 3.37% zinc+lead from 63 metres, including 1-metre at 9.28% zinc+lead from 64 metres; and
- 28 metres at 1.76% zinc+lead from 70 metres, including 1-metre at 9.11% zinc+lead from 71 metres.
The Chikamin Feeder Zone is open to the northwest and is likely associated with the original Chinook discovery intercepts — such as 24 metres at 5.57% zinc+lead and 21 metres at 4.31% zinc+lead — that lie to the southeast.
In addition, more broad, parallel zinc-lead sulphide intersections have been delineated roughly 300 and 600 metres west of Chikamin. Some of the better results include:
- 22 metres at 2.88% zinc+lead from 62 metres, including 12 metres at 4.1 % zinc+lead from 69 metres, including 7 metres at 5.08% zinc+lead from 72 metres; and
- 53 metres at 1.13% zinc+lead from 43 metres, including 6 metres at 4.22% zinc+lead and 24 g/t silver from 72 metres and 2 metres at 8.15% zinc+lead and 16 g/t silver from 76 metres.
Finally, RC drilling to the east of Chinook at the Spur Feeder Zone has shown strong continuity of high-grade mineralisation within broad intervals of zinc-lead sulphide mineralisation.
The Spur Zone is inferred to trend east-west and is contiguous with the Kalitan Feeder Zone, while mineralisation remains open to the east and at depth. The latest results include:
- 64 metres at 1.42% zinc+lead from 80 metres, including 5 metres at 7.62% zinc+lead from 127 metres; and
- 24 metres at 2.00% zinc+lead from 86 metres, including 7 metres at 4.39% zinc+lead from 97 metres, including 2 metres at 7.03% zinc+lead from 101 metres.
Coming up
Rumble’s work at Chinook is far from over with more drilling and development activity on the cards this year.
First off, the explorer plans to return to the soil with more RC drilling, targeting more high-grade feeder structures along the Sweetwater Trend.
In the meantime, the company is waiting on assays from 38 RC and diamond drill holes, completed during a recent exploration campaign at the Tonka-Navajoh prospect and designed to infill and extend the Colorado and Magazine high-grade feeder zones.
Further RC and diamond drilling is on the cards to test several potential high-grade, east-west and northwest-southeast feeder structures.
In tandem, sighter metallurgical test-work is progressing as planned. Rumble is looking to develop a preliminary flowsheet for the sulphide flotation concentrate and will report on its progress as soon as the final results are compiled.
Meanwhile, an independent technical study to determine the optimum drill spacing for a maiden resource has begun, targeting an announcement in 2023.
Development-wise, Rumble is investigating beneficiation techniques, such as dense media separation and sensor ore sorting, to increase the potential resource and enhance the optionality of the Earaheedy Project.