Pantoro Ltd (ASX:PNR) has received further wide and high-grade results from the Scotia Deeps drilling program at Norseman Gold Project in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.
The program is designed to extend known mineralisation and convert current inferred and unclassified material to indicated mineral resources and probable ore reserves.
Results received to date have confirmed continuity of inferred mineral resources and unclassified mineralisation, revealing consistent ore zones ideal for open stoping and include:
- 18 metres at 8.29 g/t gold from 174 metres;
- 7.2 metres at 17.58 g/t from 431.2 metres;
- 6 metres at 11.68 g/t from 114 metres; and
- 11 metres at 3.22 g/t from 179 metres, including 4 metres at 6.81 g/t.
Promisingly, these results are expected to deliver additional ore reserves, further extending the current mine life and annual gold production.
"Outstanding success”
Pantoro managing director Paul Cmrlec said: “Drilling within the Scotia Mining Centre has been an outstanding success, both in extending known orebodies and in discovery of new mineralised zones.
“The results at depth confirm that the Scotia Mining Centre will be a long life, very high-grade ore source for the Norseman Gold Project for many years to come.”
Pantoro has focused initial project planning on six initial mining areas containing multiple deposits that are amenable to both open pit and underground mining.
A Phase One definitive feasability study (DFS) was completed in October 2020 detailing an initial seven-year mine plan with a centralised processing facility and combination of open pit and underground mining producing about108,000 ounces per annum
Drilling results
Long section of Scotia Mine.
Drilling has been ongoing at Scotia Deeps throughout Pantoro’s drilling campaign over the past 18 months.
While the current phase one mine plan only includes modest underground ore oeserves from Scotia, Pantoro believes that the Scotia ore body presents a high-grade underground opportunity that can be substantially larger than currently defined.
Drilling confirms high-grade mineralisation more than 500 metres below the surface, suggesting a long life underground ore source.
Other strong drilling results include:
4.4 metres at 6.1 g/t from 505.6 metres;
3.7 metres at 7.04 g/t from 358 metres;
3 metres at 5.19 g/t from 152 metres;
3.4 metres at 9.37 g/t from 405.6 metres;
1.2 metres at 16.26 g/t from 480.8 metres;
1.7 metres at 12.96 g/t from 297.1 metres;
2.9 metres at 8.05 g/t from 258.1 metres;
6 metres at 3.45 g/t from 361 metres, including 3.2 metres at 5.83 g/t;
5.4 metres at 3.99 g/t from 379.4 metres;
7 metres at 2.92 g/t from 331 metres, including 2 metres at 6.02 g/t;
2 metres at 7.2 g/t from 357 metres;
3.26 metres at 5.95 g/t from 314.96 metres;
2 metres at 7.46 g/t from 17 metres; and
3.8 metres at 3.81 g/t from 435.4 metres
Forward plan
Plan of Scotia Mining Centre.
Pantoro anticipates completion of the current phase of drilling during the December 2021 quarter and intends to re-estimate mineral resources and ore reserves during the March 2022 quarter.
Meanwhile, drill out is continuing with four active drill rigs currently deployed.
In addition, underground mining is expected to begin well before the completion of open pit mining with an integrated plan already included in the phase one mine plan.
Furthermore, a new one million tonne per annum processing plant is to be constructed by GR Engineering following an extensive tendering process.