Carnavale Resources Ltd (ASX:CAV) has kicked off a 6,450 metres aircore drilling program, which is part of a systematic exploration program at the Kookynie Gold Project in the West Australian Goldfields.
The current aircore drilling program has been designed to test the potential of structural features identified in an aeromagnetic survey to host high-grade gold at the Kookynie Gold Project.
The Kookynie Gold Project is along strike and adjacent to Nex Metals (ASX:NME) and Metalicity Ltd’s (ASX:MCT) high-grade Leipold, McTavish Cosmopolitan and Champion deposits, being successfully developed by Metalicity under an earn-in agreement.
“Delighted to be on the ground drilling”
Carnavale executive chairman Ron Gajewski said: “Carnavale is delighted to be on the ground drilling at the Kookynie Gold Project, the area has produced some outstanding results for our neighbours, adjacent to and along strike from our highly prospective tenement package.
“The company is excited by the outcome of the recent aeromagnetic survey, which has identified abundant structural targets that have the potential to host high-grade gold mineralisation.
“We look forward to the results of the drilling in the new year.”
Air core drill target generation criteria
The Kookynie Gold Project has had limited exploration, especially under areas of transported cover, and represents a priority target for high-grade gold mineralisation.
This layer of the cover made it unattractive to early explorers and unsuitable for traditional surface sampling techniques.
As a result, the planning and design of the exploration programs being conducted at the Kookynie Gold Project have been domained by the geology and terrain, with initial soil sampling being completed on areas of residual soil material and air core drilling designed to test structural targets.
Gold anomalies identified by initial aircore program and the soil sampling program will be followed up in the second phase of aircore or RC drilling depending upon results.
The initial soil sampling program has been completed and submitted to the laboratory for analysis.
Aeromagnetic survey completed
A detailed aeromagnetic survey was completed, and multiple structural targets were identified by interpretation of the aeromagnetic survey that has the potential to host high-grade gold mineralisation.
The company has engaged Magspec Ltd to conduct a detailed aeromagnetic survey that was flown at a height of 35 metres and 20 metres line spacing, orientated north-south.
The survey was aimed to identify the structural features that could potentially host high-grade gold, concealed by the transported cover.
The updated interpretation of the survey has been used to design and plan the aircore drilling program.
Soil sampling program
A soil sampling program has been completed over the areas of residual soils and about 1,100 samples were taken across five zones.
This program targeted interpreted structural gold zones in the residual soil profile along strike from the Leipold, McTavish and Champion deposits.
The samples have been submitted to ALS for multi-element analysis including gold with results expected in December 2020.
The soil program is being run concurrently with the aircore program.
Permits in place
The company has completed an ethnographic heritage survey of the tenement package, in conjunction with the traditional landowners, to ensure that any potential areas of cultural significance are not disturbed.
Carnavale’s program of work applications (PoW) for exploration at the Kookynie Gold Project has been approved by the DMIRS.
The tenement package is underexplored with multiple structurally controlled targets located under the alluvial cover.