Lode Resources Ltd (ASX:LDR) has returned a fresh round of gold intercepts from ongoing reverse circulation drilling at its 100%-owned Uralla Gold Project in northern New South Wales, reinforcing the company’s view that the project may host a larger Intrusive Related Gold System (IRGS).
The latest follow-up scout drilling delivered 23 new gold mineralisation intercepts across multiple prospects, confirming broad, near-surface mineralisation and adding support to the emerging IRGS model at Uralla.
Key results from the latest program include 9 metres at 1.00 g/t gold in KTN018, 17 metres at 0.46 g/t gold in KTN023 including 3 metres at 2.11 g/t, 2 metres at 3.35 g/t in KTN027A, 4 metres at 1.51 g/t in KTN025 and 10 metres at 0.57 g/t in KTN021 including 5 metres at 1.00 g/t.
The results follow earlier scout drilling that returned stronger intervals including 15 metres at 2.09 g/t gold from 12 metres in KTN010, including 7 metres at 3.65 g/t, as well as 14 metres at 1.24 g/t from 68 metres in KTN007.
Plan view of scout RC drill results at the Dyke Lode prospect – new results are shown in bold font.
Plan view of scout RC drill results at the Red Gum Lode prospect – new results are shown in bold font.
Managing director Keith Mayes said the results were helping build “a compelling picture” at Uralla, with drilling defining gold-bearing lodes at surface while broader exploration data pointed to a potentially large mineralised intrusive body at depth.
Uralla emerging as IRGS target
The Uralla Gold Project covers more than 300 square kilometres of the historic Uralla Goldfield in the New England Fold Belt, one of NSW’s earliest gold-producing regions.
The project is emerging as a significant IRGS, a mineralisation style associated with broad, disseminated gold, breccias and stockworks hosted in and around intrusive bodies.
Gold mineralisation defined across multiple near-surface lodes forms a large circular geophysical feature that is consistent with a mineralised intrusive stock at depth — a key characteristic of an IRGS and a potential indicator of large-tonnage scale.
Supporting this interpretation, Lode has identified a 400-metre by 350-metre circular feature at Uralla that it believes may reflect an intrusive stock at depth, with antimony pathfinder element zonation also considered consistent with an IRGS system.
Multiple prospects contribute
Drilling has returned gold intercepts from several areas, including the Dyke Lode, Little Dyke Lode and Red Gum Lode prospects, with each follow-up RC result adding further mineralised intervals associated with structural and lithological features considered diagnostic of an IRGS.
At Red Gum Lode, reported results include 10 metres at 1.32 g/t gold from KTN005, 16 metres at 0.79 g/t from KTN006 and 14 metres at 1.24 g/t from KTN007A. At Dyke Lode, results include 15 metres at 2.09 g/t from KTN010 and 9 metres at 1.00 g/t from KTN018.
Further exploration drilling is planned.
About Lode Resources
Lode Resources is focused on the New England Fold Belt in northeastern NSW and the Montezuma Silver & Antimony Project in Tasmania’s West Coast Mining Province. Its portfolio is centred on 100%-owned brownfield precious and base metal assets with historical geochemistry or geophysics, under-drilled mineralisation and potential for large mineral occurrences.
Its key assets include the Uralla Gold Project, the New England Antimony Project, the Granville Tin Project and the Silver Hills Silver & Antimony Project.