Meteoric Resources NL’s (ASX:MEI) (FRA:RNF) 2021 drilling program at Palm Springs Gold Project in WA's Kimberley region kicked off last Friday with an initial 10 holes for 3,800 metres of combined reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling.
The program is designed to test thick continuous zones of gold mineralisation in the hinge position of the southwest plunging anticline.
Additionally, the program will also test the undrilled down-plunge zones southwest of drill hole BCRD480, which intersected 25 metres at 2.46 g/t gold from 283 metres and 7 metres at 2.50 g/t from 377 metres.
Drilling will feed into resource estimation work and mining studies expected to begin in the second half of 2021.
Confident of further high-grade zones
Managing director Andrew Tunks said: “Our maiden 2020 program highlighted several key geological features that have been used to meticulously plan the 2021 drilling.
“Namely, the gold mineralisation is stratabound within a volcanic trachyte unit and the high grades are preferentially located within the fold hinge of a regional scale anticline.
“These facts have allowed us to target untested hinge positions and to explore for further extensions to the know mineralisation southward to the edge of the mining lease.
“I am confident we will be intersecting more exciting high-grade zones and adding significant gold ounces to the current open-pit resource.”
He continued: “The exploration team has been on-site for several weeks laying the groundwork for upcoming exploration such as setting up the onsite exploration camp, dewatering the Butchers Creek Open Pit and preparing for the proposed IP and magnetic geophysical surveys."
Butchers Creek drilling
Drilling will target mineralisation on mining licence M80/106, south of the Butchers Creek Pit with infill drilling of 2020 results designed to improve confidence in resources with several sections designed to extend the mineralisation another 160 metres south.
Wizard Drilling has mobilised all necessary gear and several drill crews to the site and began drilling on the weekend.
Two drill rigs will be utilised and a multi-purpose rig will drill all reverse circulation (RC) holes as well as pre-collars before converting over to a core rig and assisting the second dedicated core rig in completing the diamond tails.
Drilling is forecast to take six weeks.
Previous exploration
Meteoric’s 2020 drilling campaign at Palm Springs totalled 26 holes for 2,278 metres of diamond drilling and 5,042 metres of RC drilling.
The company has said the program was extremely successful in confirming and extending gold mineralisation for a minimum of 400 metres along strike to the southwest of the Butchers Creek open pit.