Blackham Resources Ltd’s (ASX:BLK) resource extension drilling around the Golden Age North pit indicates strong potential for high grade, free-milling ore at the Matilda-Wiluna gold operation in Western Australia.
Latest high-grade hits include:
• 8 metres at 9.10 g/t gold from 87 metres, including 3 metres at 21.46 g/t gold; and
• 8 metres at 4.50 g/t gold from 74 metres, including 6 metres at 5.63g/t gold.
Golden Age North area showing pierce points of new and previous drilling
Background
Over that last seven years, Blackham has acquired over 1,100 square kilometres of mining and exploration tenure in the historical Wiluna goldfield which is part of Australia’s biggest gold belt.
Mining historically commenced in the goldfield in 1896 and since that time 4.4 million ounces of gold has been produced from Blackham’s current tenement holding.
The company has a significant resource base containing both styles of mineralisation currently sitting at 6.7 million ounces (Moz) of gold, of which 1.3 Moz is classified as free-milling resources.
READ: Blackham Resources upgrades Matilda-Wiluna gold bounty to 6.7 million ounces
Stage I free-milling gold production is the pre-curser to Blackham’s overall plan to realise the value associated with the sulphide refractory mineralisation style found in the Wiluna goldfield.
The company continues to actively appraise and refine its stage II production strategy.
Over the past two years, surface mining has focussed on the Matilda Mine.
READ: Blackham Resources achieves record half-year gold production at Matilda‐Wiluna
From this month, mining of higher grade ores will recommence at Wiluna, less than two kilometres from the current processing facility.
The pits have maximum depths of 50-80 metres and are designed to access oxide mineralisation treatable through the existing plant.
The initial planned pits are:
• The East-West pit – new pit with high grade ore accessible near surface;
• The Golden Age North pit – new pit along strike from the existing Golden Age pit;
• Happy Jack North – ore extensions to the existing pit in multiple directions; and
• Essex – deepening of the existing pit.
Mining at Wiluna is expected to further de-risk Blackham’s production profile with ore supply being closer to the processing plant with ore being higher-grade and near surface.