White Cliff Minerals (ASX:WCN) has commenced the 2017 field season drill program at its 90%-owned Aucu Gold deposit in north-west Kyrgyz Republic located in central Asia.
Phase one drilling comprises 15 holes for 1,200 metres of reverse circulation drilling and is focusing on the deposit’s high grade Quartz Zone.
Drilling is targeting the Quartz Zone structure along strike from previous drilling which defined an inferred resource of 244,000 tonnes at 9.5 g/t containing 75,000 ounces of gold.
Once the strike extent of the Quartz Zone has been defined the company will drill a series of deeper holes to test the mineralisation at depth.
The first hole has been completed and already mineralisation has been identified.
A recap on Aucu…
During April 2017, White Cliff posted a 93% increase to its JORC resource at its 90% owned Aucu gold project located in the Kyrgyz Republic of central Asia.
The high-grade Aucu gold deposit now stands at 1.8 million tonnes grading 5.2 g/t gold for 302,000 ounces of gold.
The new resource estimate represents a 23% increase in gold grade and also includes a Inferred copper resource of 608,000 tonnes grading 0.64% copper for 3,870 tonnes of copper.
Importantly the new resource contains a high-grade zone referred to as the Quartz Zone of 244,000 tonnes at 9.5 g/t gold containing 75,000 ounces of gold which starts at surface.
A new inferred copper resource was also identified above a cut-off grade of 0.25% copper of 608,000 tonnes at 0.64% copper containing 3,870 tonnes of copper.
Early drilling update…
Mineralisation has been identified in drill hole ERC17-001 where malachite, a copper oxide, was identified from 12 metres to 26 metres.
Native copper was identified at 34 metres and was associated with goethite, an iron oxide typically associated with gold mineralisation.
The samples will be dispatched to the laboratory this week when the second hole, currently in progress, is completed.
Geochemical assays also incoming…
In conjunction with the current drilling program White Cliff has undertaken an extensive geochemical sampling program covering outcropping mineralised zones identified in bull dozer tracks, prospecting traverses and trenching.
The results of these programs and the current drilling program will be reported as they become available.
Second drill rig mobilised to site…
Investors can expect to be leveraged to exploration news flow going forward with drilling currently in progress and a second drill rig to commence drilling shortly.
The second drill rig will focus on the Eastern Gold Zone (6 holes) and the Lower Gold Zone (8 holes) where drilling in 2015 identified 6 metres at 38 g/t gold.
This target is hosted in a quartz vein with the same orientation as the Quartz Zone.
The vein has been mapped along strike for 250 metres.
Several bulldozer tracks and drill pads are currently being completed to facilitate this drilling program.