Kingfisher Mining Ltd (ASX:KFM) has confirmed high-grade lead-zinc-silver mineralisation at the Allendale Project near Broken Hill, with recent reverse circulation drilling returning grades of up to 10.37% combined lead and zinc alongside 23.2 g/t silver.
The 9-hole, 802-metre drilling program tested extensions to historically defined mineralisation at Allendale, which is 75%-owned by Kingfisher and 25%-owned by Broken Hill Mines.
The standout result came from hole 26ADRC_052, which intersected:
- 9 metres at 8.05% lead plus zinc and 17.9 g/t silver from 64 metres, including 5 metres at 10.37% lead plus zinc and 23.2 g/t silver from 65 metres; and
- 4 metres at 6.12% lead plus zinc and 22.7 g/t silver from 78 metres, including 1 metre at 12.53% lead plus zinc and 30.1 g/t silver from 81 metres.
Kingfisher's results indicate high-grade mineralisation continues at depth and remains open, providing scope for further extensions below the current drilling.
Multiple high-grade intersections
Other significant results included 7 metres at 3.32% lead plus zinc and 7.9 g/t silver from 37 metres in hole 26ADRC_050, including 3 metres at 5.42% lead plus zinc and 13.2 g/t silver.
Hole 26ADRC_051 returned 2 metres at 5.63% lead plus zinc and 41.5 g/t silver from 53 metres, including 1 metre at 9.51% lead plus zinc and 61 g/t silver from 54 metres.
Drilling also demonstrated that mineralisation extends close to surface, with hole 26ADRC_054 intersecting 7 metres at 1.90% lead plus zinc and 5.9 g/t silver from just 5 metres, including 4 metres at 2.49% lead plus zinc and 6.5 g/t silver from 8 metres.
Kingfisher's shallow mineralisation could be relevant to a potential future mining scenario, although further work is required to establish sufficient scale, continuity and metallurgical characteristics.
The latest drilling builds on historical results including 10 metres at 16.1% lead plus zinc and 29 g/t silver from 15 metres and 2 metres at 19.9% lead plus zinc and 39.2 g/t silver from 47 metres.
Allendale -Collar locations.
Allendale Project
The Allendale Silver-Lead-Zinc Project is around 40 kilometres north of Broken Hill in New South Wales and is accessible through existing roads and station tracks.
It lies within the Broken Hill Group, where complexly deformed metasedimentary rocks host Broken Hill-style stratiform silver-lead-zinc mineralisation.
Historical exploration identified multiple mineralised zones across the prospect, while Kingfisher's latest drilling was designed to test extensions to those zones and improve its understanding of the geological controls on mineralisation.
The cross-sections presented by Kingfisher on pages 3-5 of the announcement show mineralised zones extending from near surface to deeper intersections, with interpreted mineralisation remaining open in places.
Broken Hill development strategy
Allendale forms part of Kingfisher's broader Broken Hill portfolio, which also includes its flagship Copper Blow copper-gold project and the Stephens Trig prospect.
The company's strategy is supported by a Mining and Processing Agreement with Broken Hill Mines, which provides a framework to potentially process future mineralisation using existing infrastructure in the Broken Hill region rather than establishing standalone processing facilities.
Kingfisher managing director Chris Bittar said the Allendale results added another high-grade base and precious metals opportunity to the company's Broken Hill portfolio.
“Our Mining and Processing Agreement with Broken Hill Mines provides a strategic advantage, with potential access to existing processing infrastructure without the need for standalone facilities, supporting a potentially faster, lower-capex pathway to production,” he said.
Next steps
Kingfisher will integrate the latest Allendale results with historical exploration data and its geological model to assess mineralisation continuity and determine the next phase of exploration.
Further drilling is expected to focus on defining the geometry and continuity of the mineralised zones along strike and at depth.
Elsewhere in the Broken Hill portfolio, the company is awaiting assays from recent RC drilling at Stephens Trig and is preparing further drilling at Copper Blow, where preliminary metallurgical testwork is also scheduled.
Drilling, metallurgical work and geological modelling at Copper Blow are progressing towards a maiden mineral resource estimate.