OzAurum Resources Ltd (ASX:OZM) has begun its maiden 1,000-metre diamond drill program at the Patricia Gold Project and already intersected visible gold.
Diamond hole PTODH 001, northeast of Kalgoorlie in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, is the first port of call.
This first hole is part of the 1,000-metre program planned for Patricia, with diamond drilling seen as the potential key to unlocking the structural complexity seen at the project.
The hole was planned to twin reverse circulation (RC) hole PTORC 024 that previously intersected 5 metres at 37.11 g/t gold from 154 metres including 1-metre at 90.4 g/t, 1-metre at 63.6 g/t, 1-metre at 16 g/t and 1-metre at 13.25 g/t.
PTODH 001 will be drilled to a depth of 200 metres, with results to provide valuable structural information related to high-grade gold mineralisation at Patricia.
OZM has also planned a number of step-out diamond drill holes as part of this initial 1,000-metre program.
Patricia Gold Mine historically produced 5,384 ounces from 4,115 tonnes of ore at an average grade of 41 g/t gold (1930-1937).
The current Patricia open pit is approximately 800 metres long x 150 metres wide and was previously mined to a depth of 25 metres.
Visible gold
The visible gold intersected has associated pyrite, chalcopyrite and electrum mineralisation hosted in quartz veining within an ultramafic unit.
Gold mineralisation at Patricia is also hosted in the alteration selvage either side of the mineralised quartz veins.
Initial holes will twin previously reported RC drilling high-grade gold intercepts and information from these initial diamond holes will be used to plan deeper holes targeting high-grade gold mineralisation at depth.
PTODH 001 165.6 visible gold in diamond core.
Other previously reported high-grade intercepts from OzAurum's Patricia RC drilling include:
- 5 metres at 11.74 g/t gold from 151 metres, including 1-metre at 31.10 g/t and 1-metre at 10.8 g/t; and
- 1-metre at 7.42 g/t from 191 metres within 5 metres at 3.19 g/t.
“The company is very excited about the diamond drilling program currently underway at the Patricia Gold Project," OzAurum’s chief executive officer Andrew Pumphrey said.
"The intersection of visible gold in our first diamond hole at Patricia is a fantastic result, and further validates the high-grade gold potential of the Patricia Gold Project.
“In addition, the company is confident that the 1,000-metre diamond drilling program will provide valuable lithological and structural geology at this project, aimed at making a significant discovery at depth.
"We look forward to completing this program at Patricia, and eagerly await assay results from the drilling already completed.”