Cauldron Energy Ltd (ASX:CXU) has started underground exploration drilling at its Blackwood Gold Project in the Central Victorian gold province.
The company has used the Tyrconnel underground access to position the drill platform in the centre of the areas of interest and the drilling will be undertaken from inside the mine workings targeting the up and down plunge extensions of mineralisation accessed by historical miners.
Being able to drill from the underground tunnel system provides a great advantage in terms of exploration design and cost.
The completion of the mining rehabilitation work established access to the areas of interest at the project and equipped the Tyrconnel access adit ahead of plan enabling drill mobilisation before its mid-month target.
“Finally able to drill test this very exciting project”
Blackwood executive chairman Simon Youds said: “It is pleasing to see the culmination of a lot of behind-the-scenes work that allows us to commence drilling.
“We are finally able to drill test this very exciting project.
“Being able to walk in the 150-year-old footsteps of many who have made a fortune in this goldfield is humbling.
“We are about to drill-test a portion of the prematurely closed Blackwood Goldfields, where economic depression, war and water combined to close down the field in the early 1900s.
“We aim to evolve our exploration activity by reviving the techniques of the old-timers and mixing it with recent advances in science.
“We are pleased to announce the commencement of that journey and aim to bring the community along with us on that ride.”
Historical high-grade gold mineralisation
Cauldron is targeting historical high-grade gold mineralisation and multiple targets including materials left by historical miners as ‘low grade’ and down-dip extensions of extreme high grades mined in the 1800s.
This ‘low-grade material’ contains gold of the order of greater than 15 g/t, which for modern-day times is considered high-grade.
Cauldron has engaged privately-owned Core Prospecting, which has mobilised their Kempe compressed air drilling equipment underground and has started drilling over the weekend.
Golden Triangle
The Blackwood Gold Project is in Victoria’s highly productive ‘Golden Triangle’, having an exceptional opportunity to extend the ore shoots abandoned by past miners.
In addition, there is potential to discover new ore shoots lying proximal to the underground tunnel system left by historical mining activity.