Tempus Resources Ltd (ASX:TMR, TSX-V:TMRR) has uncovered ‘bonanza’ grade gold from its newly discovered Blue Vein at its flagship Elizabeth Gold Project in the Bralorne-Pioneer Gold District of southern British Columbia, Canada.
Results include 33.7 g/t gold over 1-metre from 117.9 metres and 26.4 g/t over 0.5 metres from 130.7 metres along with 8.4 g/t over 0.5 metres from 163.9 metres.
The newly discovered vein now named Blue Vein has been extended with five additional intersections over an initial strike length of 380 metres with indicated vein structural widths ranging from 0.5 to 2 metres.
A total of 26 drill holes for 7,280 metres have been completed at Elizabeth in 2021, with multiple assays pending.
Diamond drilling continues to demonstrate the SW Vein and the Blue Vein extend down dip and along strike – all extensional holes drilled appear to intersect quartz veining.
“Exciting to see”
Tempus president and CEO Jason Bahnsen said: “It is exciting to see the newly discovered Blue Vein develop along strike parallel to the SW vein with six drill intersections to date.
“Initial results show strong grades of up to 33.7 grams gold per tonne with widths of over 1-metre and an initial strike length of 380 metres.”
Drilling to date
Highlights from the assay results of the six drill holes reported include:
➢ Drill hole EZ-21-12:
- 33.7 g/t gold over 1-metre from 117.8 metres (Blue Vein);
- 26.4 g/t over 0.5 metres from 130.7 metres (Blue Vein);
- 8.4 g/t over 0.5 metres from163.9 metres (Blue Vein); and
- 1.2 g/t over 2.1 metres from 344.9 metres (SW Vein).
➢ Hole EZ-21-09:
- 0.3 g/t over 0.5 metres from 130.7 metres (Blue Vein), and
- 2.6 g/t over 2.0 metres from 270.9 metres (SW Vein).
➢ Hole EZ-21-10:
- 4.0 g/t gold over 0.5 metres from 223.00 metres (7 Vein).
To date, Tempus has completed around 9,300 metres of drilling out of the total Phase 1 drill program of 12,000 metres since the program started in November 2020.
In total, Tempus has completed 37 diamond drill holes at Elizabeth and there are currently 12 drill holes pending assay results.
Blue Vein
The Blue Vein, about 150 metres to the northwest and parallel to the SW Vein, and previously unknown, was intersected by six drill holes, demonstrating an initial strike length of 380 metres.
The Blue Vein remains open at depth and along strike.
All reported drill holes also intersected the SW Vein at depth and were successful in identifying the SW Vein/structure with anomalous gold, silver, arsenic, mercury and antimony.
The results are indicative of mesothermal/orogenic mineralisation and are consistent with the high-grade gold zones from previously reported drill holes.
Exploration strategy
The overall exploration drilling strategy for the Elizabeth Project is focused on increasing the size and confidence level of the historic inferred resource of around 206,139 ounces of contained gold (522,843 tonnes at 12.26 g/t gold - SRK 2009).
Apart from a few infill drill holes intended to convert inferred resources to indicated, the majority of the drill holes completed and planned by Tempus intersected gold vein structures outside of the 2009 resource block model.
Elizabeth Gold Project
The 115 square kilometres project is a relatively underexplored high-grade mesothermal gold project with mineralisation presenting itself in vein sets that range in true width from 1 metre to 6.5 metres.
The high-grade quartz veins encountered in the drilling at Elizabeth show close geological similarities to the Bralorne-Pioneer mesothermal vein system ( about 30 kilometres away), which was mined to a depth of around 2,000 metres and produced more than 4 million ounces of gold over more than 70 years to 1971.