Rumble Resources Ltd (ASX:RTR) is focused on rapidly advancing the Chinook zinc-lead discovery at the Earaheedy Project, about 110 kilometres north of Wiluna, Western Australia.
The company has increased the zinc-lead mineralisation envelope at Chinook by 224%, to 4.1 kilometres strike and 1.9 kilometres down dip length since the June quarter.
Rumble has also recently expanded its ongoing exploration drilling program to 40,000 metres at the project, which is likely to expand further due to a potential increase in the mineralised footprint.
Potential to increase known footprint
Zinc-lead mineralisation has been modelled to extend west across the boundary of tenement E69/3464 (Rumble 75% JV) into Rumble’s 100% owned ELA69/3787, which has an additional 12 kilometres of untested strike along the prospective unconformity to the Sweetwater zinc-lead prospect, providing further potential to increase the known footprint at Chinook.
Nearly 35,000 metres of RC (reverse circulation) drilling has been completed at Earaheedy with only 9,000 metres of RC assay results (~25%) reported due to the high levels of exploration in Western Australia and industry-wide laboratory turnaround issues.
Highlight drill results to date (>2% zinc + lead cut off) include:
- 15 metres at 4.02% zinc + lead, 4.86 g/t silver from 116 metres (EHRC089) within 27 metres at 2.54% zinc + lead from 115 metres;
- 11 metres at 3.92% zinc + lead, 4.23 g/t silver from 142 metres (EHRC090)⃰ within 22 metres at 2.35% zinc + lead from 139 metres; and
- 16 metres at 3.67% zinc + lead, 3.9 g/t silver from 79 metres (EHRC100) within 25 metres at 2.7% zinc + lead from 76 metres.
Ongoing exploration steps
- RC drill scoping of Chinook, Magazine and Navajoh
- 40,000 metres RC program ongoing – likely to expand due to increase in mineralised footprint.
- Diamond core drilling
- Clastic hosted zinc-lead-silver and footwall shale hosted sulphide mineralisation to be targeted.
- Sonic drilling
- Reasonable recovery at EHS001 and EHS002 compared to diamond core drilling has given Rumble confidence to restart the Sonic drill testing.
- Sonic drilling of different mineralisation styles, including oxide.
- Metallurgy
- Diamond and Sonic drilling to be used for initial metallurgical sighter programs.
- Geophysics
- Airborne Magnetics planned over applications.
- Analysis of Gravity and passive Seismic ongoing.
First stage exploration target
Rumble’s zinc-lead exploration target at the Earaheedy Project is between 100 to 120 million tonnes at a grade ranging between 3.5% to 4.5% zinc-lead.
The exploration target is at a shallow depth (120 metres) with over 40 kilometres of prospective strike (completely open).
Western Queen Gold Project
The Western Queen Gold Project is within the Yalgoo mineral field of Western Australia comprising two 100% owned mining leases and two exploration tenements.
Western Queen is within a 110-kilometre radius of three operating gold processing facilities.
During the quarter Rumble announced an updated resource:
- A new independent indicated and inferred resource of 2.1 million tonnes grading 2.42 g/t gold for 163,268 ounces gold has been estimated for the 100%-owned Western Queen Project;
- Mineral resource estimate ounces increased by 35%;
- Indicated ounces increased by 145%;
- Western Queen South & Western Queen Central deposits remain open at depth; and
- Rumble owns 35 kilometres of the Western Queen Shear Zone which hosts the Western Queen resources, with exceptional potential for further discoveries & delineation of new mineral resources.