Duke Exploration Ltd (ASX:DEX) has intersected more epithermal gold in the remaining two diamond exploration holes at the Prairie Creek Gold Project in Central Queensland.
This drilling was targeting a 1.6-kilometre-long and 200-metre-wide northeast trending gold in soil anomaly and follows encouraging results in September from the first diamond hole.
Gold and silver results
Zones of epithermal-style quartz veining and breccias and associated gold mineralisation were intersected in diamond drill holes with silver grades as well.
New gold results include:
- 4.0 metres at 0.59 g/t gold from 0 metres;
- 2.4 metres at 0.71 g/t from 16.0 metres;
- 1-metre at 0.54 g/t from 37.4 metres.
Intersections of silver were also recorded in both holes, including:
- 7 metres at 31.17 g/t silver from 0 metres; and
- 2.1 metres at 1.64 g/t from 52.9 metres.
Evaluating potential
Managing director Philip Condon said: “The Prairie Creek project drilling program strategy was to confirm previous exploration results and to gain an understanding of the geology and style of gold mineralisation, so we can begin to evaluate the project potential for an economic mining operation.
"Three diamond holes were planned and drilled in the vicinity of historic high-grade drill intercepts in RC drilling to achieve that goal.”
The new results are in addition to previous assays from the first diamond hole:
- 2.30 metres at 4.68 g/t gold from 7.00 metres;
- 20.40 metres at 1.86 g/t gold from 11.40 metres; and
- 5.35 metres at 2.95 g/t gold from 38.10 metres.
“Impetus for further work”
“Geological logging and assay results confirm that epithermal-style gold mineralisation is present and provides the impetus for further work on the project,” Condon said.
"Follow-up will be focused on geological mapping and interpretation and expanding soil geochemistry to define other targets.
"The diamond rig is now drilling at Duke’s Bundarra project.”
Future work
Future work planned at Prairie Creek includes:
- Detailed geological mapping and 3D solid geology interpretation; and
- Soil sampling over the wider area to the north of the Prairie Creek prospect.
About Prairie Creek
The Prairie Creek Project is 120 kilometres southwest of Gladstone and 25 kilometres southwest of Biloela in central Queensland.
This part of Central Queensland is prospective for epithermal gold mineralisation like the operating Cracow epithermal gold deposit 80 kilometres to the south.