Vango Mining Ltd (ASX:VAN) has received high-grade gold results in first assays from ongoing 2021 drilling at its flagship Marymia Gold Project in the Mid-West region of Western Australia.
Assay results have been returned from the first six completed holes at Skyhawk prospect, targeting extensions to higher zones of mineralisation intersected in previous drilling and new mineralised zones at depth.
This drilling has confirmed the presence of a new gold structure at depth and validated Vango’s potential large-scale open-pit model.
Gold mineralisation was intersected in all holes with best results:
- 1-metre at 12.1 g/t gold from 55 metres;
- 1-metre at 3.1 g/t from 48 metres;
- 6 metres at 1.9 g/t from 21 metres including 1-metre at 6.4 g/t; and
- 3 metres at 2.5 g/t from 59 metres including 1-metre at 6.1 g/t.
These results follow-up previous drilling at Skyhawk, which intersected extensive high-grade zones that remain open at depth and along strike.
2021 drilling program
According to the ASX-lister, the 2021 drilling program has been designed to boost the company’s existing 1.02-million-ounce at 3 g/t gold resource at Marymia, with 11 priority open pit targets not currently part of that figure.
Vango is targeting depth and strike extensions of mineralisation at open pit targets previously mined exclusively from near-surface oxide material across 45 open pits.
Second phase of drilling
Mineralisation intersected at Skyhawk, the first open-pit target to be drilled in the current drilling campaign, is contained within quartz veining within a greenstone package, with the veining controlled by a complex structure dipping to the northwest.
Assay results for the final hole at Skyhawk are pending and drilling is ongoing.
Until now, the company has completed 53 holes at 10 of the 11 targeted open pits and based on the positive outcomes of this drilling, is now planning a second phase of drilling.
The second phase will consist of a further seven holes and is expected to begin once all drilling in the current campaign has been completed at the priority 11 pits.
Marymia Gold Project showing the 11 priority open pit targets.
Aim to grow resource
The company has designed the drilling to extend indicated and inferred resources estimated thereby adding to the existing high-grade resource of 1 million ounces at 3 g/t gold.
Vango aims to deliver ‘critical mass’ to increase the mine life of a proposed future mining operation from the resource base, specifically targeting an increase in total ounces to ensure that the mill capacity of any future mining operation is maximised over the project’s total mine life.
The drilling is also being designed to enhance the understanding of mineralised zones within the targeted open pits and to help assess funding requirements for a proposed standalone mining operation.