Alto Metals Ltd (ASX:AME) has received further strong assay results from ongoing drilling at its 100%-owned, 900 square kilometres Sandstone Gold Project in Western Australia, which have confirmed another lode within a new zone of gold mineralisation 1-kilometre south of the Lord Nelson Pit.
The results have extended the overall mineralised footprint to more than 1-kilometre south of Lord Nelson and this remains open in all directions, highlighting the potential of Lord’s Corridor and the Sandstone Gold Project.
Drilling is ongoing with two reverse circulation (RC) rigs focused on completing around 20,000 metres of the program at the Lords Corridor, Vanguard and Chance.
Based on assay results received to date, it is likely that the current program will be expanded and initial planning is already underway.
Assays for the first 28 holes for 5,213 metres of drilling that commenced this year, targeting extensions of known mineralisation at Lord Henry and Lord Nelson, Orion and Vanguard, are already with the laboratory and are expected early next month.
Same style as Lord Nelson
Alto Metals managing director Matthew Bowles said: These new results from the successful first pass ‘step-out’ exploration holes drilled late last year, have confirmed two new lodes, within a new zone of gold mineralisation discovered more than a kilometre south of Lord Nelson.
”Importantly, these holes were drilled in an area completely undercover and the style of mineralisation intersected is exactly the same as what we see at Lord Nelson and reminds us of the first few holes drilled that led to the Orion Lode discovery.
“We are fully focused on exploration."
Initial assays expected early next month
Bowles added: “We have a major drilling program underway, with two rigs on-site testing extensions of known resources and priority regional targets.
“Once initial assays from drilling that commenced at the start of this year are received, expected early next month, we will then have regular, ongoing news flow.
Assay results
The first pass RC drilling completed in December 2020, was designed to test conceptual targets along the plus-3-kilometre Lords Corridor.
The wide-spaced holes were drilled on an 80 x 80 metres grid in an area with no previous drilling more than 1,000 metres south of Lord Nelson.
Assay results include:
- 4 metres at 5.3 g/t gold from 124 metres within 16 metres at 1.6 g/t from 116 metres; and
- 4 metres at 2.7 g/t from 148 metres within 8 metres at 1.6 g/t gold from 144 metres.
The style of mineralisation (quartz-pyrite veins style mineralisation related to granodiorite intrusion) of the new lode is identical to what is seen at Lord Nelson and Orion Lode.
This further supports the company’s geological model, which predicts the potential for multiple Lord Nelson style lodes, within the Lords Corridor.
It is the second new lode discovered from the current drilling program along the Lords Corridor, following the discovery of an earlier lode a further 400 metres to the south on the eastern edge of an undrilled IP anomaly.
Aggressive drilling ongoing
The 2021 drilling program at the Sandstone Gold Project recommenced in early February and a second RC rig arrived at site shortly after to accelerate completion of the remaining around 20,000 metres of the planned 30,000-metre program.
Following completion of the initial five holes at Lord Henry, the first RC rig is targeting depth extensions of known mineralisation at Lord Nelson and the Orion Lode.
On completion of the first phase of extensional drilling at the Orion Lode, the second RC rig has commenced step-out drilling at Vanguard to complete a planned 8,000 metres drill program.
It will then commence a maiden 2,000 metres exploration program at Chance, with up to $150,000 co-funded through the WA State Government Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS).
Once this drilling has been completed the second rig will move back to the Lords Corridor, to follow up on the first phase results.
The first RC rig will remain on the Lords Corridor to complete the planned drilling at Lord Nelson and the Orion Lode, before moving down to follow up on the latest results from the new zone in this release and the test the IP target which has not yet been drilled.