Astro Resources NL (ASX:ARO) has started a diamond drill program at its Needles Gold Project in Nevada, US, ahead of schedule due to the unexpected availability of a drill rig.
The company believes its drilling consultant is well conversant and highly experienced in the area, having completed a separate campaign for a Canadian listed company at a tenement just 5 kilometres from the Needles Project.
DC Induced Polarisation (IP) surveying was used to model the presence of a chargeability anomaly within the Needles property. The IP anomaly is interpreted to represent disseminated sulphides, possibly associated with alteration and gold mineralisation of a Round Mountain-style deposit.
Round Mountain is an epithermal, low-sulphidation, volcanic-hosted, hot-springs deposit located along the margin of a buried caldera. It ranks among the world's largest of this style of deposit, with production and reserves amounting to at least 200 million tonnes at 1.5 g/t gold for 300 tonnes of gold total.
Exiting prospective gold targets
Astro Resources chairman Jacob Khouri said: “We are very excited about the commencement of the drill campaign to test these high-quality gold targets. The drilling comes after a considerable amount of planning and preparation and is well ahead of schedule. We look forward to seeing positive results from the campaign.”
Astro plans to drill three inclined 500-metre-deep core-holes, targeting mineralisation between 250 and 500 metres below the surface. A fourth hole will target potential shallower epithermal mineralisation as well as deeper Round Mountain-type mineralisation beneath the Tomahawk shaft.
About the company
Astro Resources Nl is an Australian exploration company focused on advancing its diversified portfolio of high-quality projects:
- Needles Gold Project, Nevada;
- Governor Broome Minerals Sands Project, Western Australia; and
- Lower Smoke Creek Diamonds Project, Western Australia.
In 2021, Astro will focus its efforts on a drilling program at Needles, progressing to a pre-feasibility study at Governor Broome HMS Project and undertaking work at the Lower Smoke Creek Diamond Project.