Challenger Exploration Ltd (ASX:CEL) has received high-grade results from its follow-up drill program at the Sentazon prospect within the Hualilan Gold Project in San Juan, Argentina.
Early results from the first 13 holes contain a number of high-grade intersections such as 16.9 metres at 16.9 g/t gold equivalent including two high-grade zones of 7.1 metres at 32.2 g/t and 2.9 metres at 18.8 g/t and 3.8 metres at 24.8 g/t.
Promisingly, Challenger’s drilling has doubled the dip extent of the high-grade mineralisation at Sentazon to 200 metres with mineralisation remaining open both up-dip into the Hualilan Hills and at depth.
Significant high-grade intersections
Challenger managing director Kris Knauer said: “Sentazon, lies at what was thought to be the southern end of the mineralisation at Hualilan, and has received relatively little drilling compared to other parts of the Hualilan Gold Project.
“The current Sentazon drilling produced several significant high-grade intersections including 16.9 metres at 16.9 g/t AuEq.
“It has doubled the vertical extent of the mineralisation at Sentazon and confirmed a second, and much wider, zone at depth.
“Both zones of mineralisation at Sentazon extend over at least 200 metres down-dip and remain open and strongly mineralised at depth.
“Based on the results from the first holes in this program we will be dedicating quite a few more metres from our 120,000-metre drill program and at least one of the nine rigs on site to Sentazon."
New footwall zone of mineralisation
Challenger’s drilling program confirmed the intersection as a significant new zone of high-grade gold mineralisation in the footwall below the existing high-grade mineralisation at Sentazon.
Intersections such as 50 metres at 1.9 g/t gold equivalent including 2.4 metres at 17.3 g/t demonstrate this new zone of footwall mineralisation below Sentazon has significant true width.
This new footwall zone of mineralisation has a substantial down-dip extent, with several deeper drill holes in the program intercepting zones of massive sulphides in limestone containing pyrite-sphalerite-galena-pyrrhotite with garnet-silica-pyroxene alteration up to 200 metres below the current results.
Challenger has completed ten additional holes with assays pending, with another nine holes planned in the current Sentazon drilling which, based on these early results, is likely to be extended.
- Ephrems Joseph