Alice Queen Ltd (ASX:AQX) has revealed multiple drill-ready gold target zones after receiving final results from processing of a Dipole Dipole Induced Polarisation (DDIP) survey at Horn Island Gold Project in Torres Strait, Queensland.
The final merged data has identified multiple IP chargeability and resistivity target areas that increase the potential for Horn Island to host multiple deposits along with the existing 524,000-ounce resource.
Three broad IP target areas – Jedha 1, Endor 1 and Tatooine 1 – all associated with coincident surface gold or IRG pathfinder enrichment, will be the focus of initial drilling.
Drilling to begin shortly
Construction of a drill pad to test the Jedha 1 target zone is under way and drilling remains on track to begin shortly.
Exploration manager Adrian Hell said, "In 2016, the company’s exploration team and I first commenced mapping and rock chip sampling programs across Horn Island. We have continued this body of work with panning, rock chip and channel sampling.
"In 2018, we completed an aeromag program and successful shallow drill program at the Southern Silicified Ridge and since that time, further sampling and IP surveys have been completed.
"This vast body of work has fed into various studies, such as metal zonation, and have allowed us to develop a geological model that suggests a large Intrusion Related Gold System is present at Horn Island.
"These broad target zones at Horn Island present a real and exciting opportunity for discovery."
IP survey completed
The recently completed IP survey area covered a total distance of 64 line-kilometres over a 13 square kilometre area.
Data from this DDIP survey and a previous DDIP survey has been merged, with the final processing of the merged data resulting in the identification of multiple broad target areas.
Conceptual 3D IRG metal zonation model outlining source intrusion driving potential gold deposits across the project area between Horn Island Resource and SSR prospect.
The total DDIP survey area now stands at 16 square kilometres for assessment and enables Alice Queen to identify other potential deeper target areas around the current mineral resource area and extending 3.5 kilometres south to the Southern Silicified Ridge (SSR) prospect.
A drill program has been designed that is iterative in nature with each drill hole to inform the geological model and successive holes.
Jedha 1 anomaly
The Jedha 1 anomaly at SSR is characterised by high chargeability gradient and associated structurally controlled resistivity low. It displays a similar chargeability response to the Horn Island gold resource area but is significantly larger in scale.
Jeedha 1 target area trends for greater than 5 kilometres covering a projected surface area of 188.5 hectares and remains open to the NW.
Previous 9-hole shallow diamond drilling across a limited area above this anomaly returned multiple gold assays greater than 0.5 g/t with the best intercept being 11 metres at 2.9 g/t from 78.8 metres including 1-metre at 16.3 g/t from 78.8 metres.
Tatooine 1 anomaly
Tatooine 1 was originally identified from a previous IP survey and reprocessing of the merged data has provided further definition of this area that is characterised by high chargeability gradient with areas of interest concentrated along the associated resistivity low trend.
This anomaly displays coincidental surface gold and projected IRG pathfinder enrichment patterns.
The Horn Island gold resource of 16.7 million tonnes at 0.98 g/t for 524,000 ounces is hosted within this anomaly area that extends along a NW-N trend for about 1.6 kilometres and potential for higher grade gold lodes as extensions from the resource exist.
Preliminary and broad spaced drilling to test a small part of this anomaly, outside the existing resource envelope, returned positive gold results of 5 metres at 4.4 g/t from 128 metres including 1-metre at 12.3 gt from 128 metres and 1-metre at 12.4 g/t from 244 metres.
New Endor 1 anomaly
Endor 1 is a newly defined chargeability anomaly with a strike length of 600 metres, covering a surface expression of 15 hectares. It is a near-surface high chargeability anomaly with a target depth to 150 metres.
A high to lower chargeability gradient trend suggests potential deeper linkages between the resource area and Jedha 1 anomaly.