Eastern Metals Ltd (ASX:EMS)’s diamond drilling campaign at Browns Reef in Central West New South Wales has yielded massive and disseminated sulphide mineralisation.
Two drill holes have extended the Evergreen lode a further 50 metres to the south of the area drilled by EMS earlier this year.
Visible zinc and lead
Both intersections included zones of significant zinc and lead sulphide mineralisation, based on visual logging of drill core.
One hit 6.4 metres of massive and disseminated sulphides from 198.4 metres down-hole, while the other intersected 9.1 metres of massive and disseminated sulphides from 293.5 metres down-hole.
Core from the mineralised intersections has been cut and sent to a laboratory for assay, when the company believes the true significance of these intersections will become clear.
The Evergreen lode now extends over a strike length of more than 150 metres and a vertical depth of 300 metres and remains open along strike in both directions and at depth.
Heavy rainfall delays plans
Following a long period of abnormal rains in the Central West of New South Wales, the company has suspended plans to test two additional holes for extensions to the lode to the north.
Lake Cargelligo’s mean rainfall to June is 217mm. In 2022, more than 499mm of rain has fallen. This has made access for heavy equipment like drill rigs difficult.
To avoid unnecessary damage to the farming property, the rest of the holes will be drilled after the ground dries out and access conditions permit rig access.
Managing director and CEO Wayne Rossiter said “This follow-up drilling campaign has extended the Evergreen lode by at least a further 50 metres to the south and importantly we are seeing areas of massive sphalerite.
“This program was the next step of a concerted drilling effort to build a potentially mineable tonnage at Browns Reef within the larger mineralised system.
“We now have a mineralised area with a strike length of over 150 metres and a vertical depth of 300 metres that remains open along strike in both directions and at depth. Core has been cut with samples delivered to ALS in Orange.
“Further disclosures will be made when the assay results become available.
“Our drilling team and staff did an outstanding job completing these holes in difficult conditions. We look forward to the drilling of the planned step-out holes 50 metres to the north which we could not drill because of the difficult access caused by heavy rains this year.”
About Browns Reef
Browns Reef lies 5 kilometres to the west of the town of Lake Cargelligo, 470 kilometres west of Sydney, on mining licence EL 6321.
The area surrounding Browns Reef is used for agricultural purposes, including grazing and cropping, and the deposit occupies a small part of the tenement.
Most of the deeper drilling to date has been confined to a zone approximately 2.7-kilometres long in the central to southern part of the tenement and is on the eastern flank of the interpreted 9-kilometre-long synclinal structure.
A conceptual exploration target of 27 to 37 million tonnes, averaging between 1.3-1.4% zinc, 0.6-0.7% lead, 9-10 g/t silver and 0.2-0.3% copper, has been reported for Browns Reef.