Alto Metals Ltd (ASX:AME) has unearthed a particularly wide intersection of gold mineralisation in reverse circulation (RC) drilling at Lord Nelson deposit of the flagship Sandstone Gold Project in Western Australia, demonstrating strong growth potential.
New results of note from extensional drilling below the Lord Nelson pit include:
- 67 metres at 2.3 g/t gold from 172 metres, including 6 metres at 5.4 g/t from 179 metres;
- 19 metres at 1.5 g/t from 185 metres, including 1-metre at 17.8 g/t from 198 metres;
- 12 metres at 1.4 g/t from 50 metres, including 1-metre at 10.2 g/t from 59 metres, and 11 metres at 1.0 g/t from 84 metres; and,
- 11 metres at 1.3 g/t from 156 metres and 6 metres at 3.0 g/t from 215 metres.
This latest round of drilling was partially following-up earlier results of 45 metres at 3.2 g/t from 161 metres and has demonstrated extensions of thick, high-grade mineralisation a further 20 metres down dip.
Another RC drill hole was drilled to test for deeper extensions, but results are still pending along with a further 5,025 metres of RC drilling assays.
Some of these pending assays are from the Juno lode, some 600 metres south of Lord Nelson, targeted at dip and strike extensions of known gold mineralisation, including following up one drill hole (SRC443) which returned 13 metres at 5.1 g/t from 162 metres.
“Great start to exciting year”
"These are excellent initial results from our ongoing major drilling campaign and, on the back of the recent update of our open pit gold resource to 635,000 ounces, once again demonstrates the significant growth potential we see at the Lords Corridor and our entire Sandstone Gold Project,” Alto Metals managing director Matthew Bowles said.
“A particular standout from these latest results is SRC576 returning 67 metres at 2.3 g/t gold, highlighting the continuity of thick high-grade mineralisation within the current pit shell at Lord Nelson.
“A number of assays are currently pending, including from follow up drilling at Juno which are eagerly anticipated, as they targeted the up and down dip extensions of the new lode.
“We will then be then looking to test deeper primary targets within the Lords Corridor. In the meantime, our next phase of drilling is underway at Indomitable Camp, the first of our many near-mine regional targets, as we continue to focus on resource growth and exploration.
“We see this as a great start to another exciting year ahead and look forward to updating shareholders on further results from our ongoing drill program, over the coming weeks and months ahead.”
Survey modelling
Alto Metals has almost completed the modelling and interpretation of a recent gravity survey over the Lords Corridor, which the company believes will assist in targeting the 'damage zone' of the Lords’ prospective rock and high-grade mineralisation along the footwall at depth.
Drilling has now begun at the Indomitable Camp – which is within the over 20-kilometre-long Indomitable-Vanguard-Havilah trend – designed to assist with an updated mineral resource estimate planned for the second half of the year.
Alto Metals has planned a major program of 60,000 metres of drilling for this year, targeting both resource growth and exploration, and focused on expanding existing resources and developing several advanced regional prospects.
The current JORC-compliant mineral resource estimate for the greater Sandstone Gold Project is 12.4 million tonnes at 1.6 g/t gold for 635,000 ounces, but the resource has so far only been measured to a depth of less than 200 metres and remains open.