Wiluna Mining Corporation Ltd (ASX:WMC, OTC:WMXCF) has discovered strong sulphide mineralisation in the first of eight holes testing down-plunge extensions of the East and West Lodes at the Wiluna Mining Operation in WA.
The hole at East Lode Lower Target has intersected 8 metres of strong sulphides (~5% pyrite and 5% arsenopyrite) in strongly sheared and altered rock.
Notably, these features are indicative of high-grade gold mineralisation elsewhere in the Wiluna gold system.
The intersection is located 200 metres below the East Lode historical workings and Mineral Resource limits.
Further 7 holes in the program will test over 1,000 metres of strike and 700 metres of down-plunge extent on the East and West Lode structures.
The assays are expected in two weeks with the samples being prioritised at the lab.
40,000-metre drilling campaign
The East and West Lodes were the main producing lodes at Wiluna historically with a combined endowment of past production and current resources of 3.5 million ounces at 5.4 g/t.
Wiluna Mining’s drilling success at East Lode Lower follows the recently reported ultra-high-grade results at the Bulletin North target.
The discovery programs are part of a 40,000-metre campaign testing nine large-scale targets for new high-grade sulphide shoots ‘under the headframe’ at Wiluna.
Drilling is in progress at East and West Lode Lower, Bulletin North and Squib.
Wiluna Mining Centre nine targets within 40,000m Discovery program.
High-grade >5g/t shoot discoveries are targeted to substantially enhance the early years of the current mining plan with the intention of increasing the underground ore grade and to grow gold production.
The current targets are a subset of the company’s JORC compliant Exploration Target at the Wiluna Mining Centre of 35 to 40 million tonnes at 4.5 g/t to 7g/t for 5 to 7 million ounces.
“Seeking a repeat of shoots of similar scale”
Wiluna Mining executive chair Milan Jerkovic said: “This intercept is just what we’re looking for in the South Mine Area as we expand our focus to discover new high-grade shoots, in addition to our ongoing drilling to methodically infill the existing Mineral Resource mainly in the North Mine Area.
“Historically, the East and West Lodes were the largest, high-grade production areas at Wiluna, so we’re seeking a repeat of shoots of similar scale to materially enhance the long-term production profile at Wiluna.
“Importantly, these intercepts are only 1000m laterally away of the Golden Age and Calais mine areas, so they potentially open a whole new extension to the mineralised system with the prospect of relatively low-cost and rapid access to be targeted for resource and reserve growth.”