Meeka Gold Ltd (ASX:MEK) has intersected broad zones of gold including 'bonanza' grade hits of up to 63 g/t from diamond drilling at Turnberry deposit within the Murchison Gold Project in Western Australia, expanding its growth potential.
Gold mineralisation at Turnberry, which hosts 610,000 ounces at 1.7 g/t gold, strikes over 1.5 kilometres within a highly fertile 7-kilometre gold shear system that also hosts shallow, high-grade gold at St Anne’s.
Mineralisation at Turnberry is widespread and occurs within multiple mineralised envelopes, predominantly concentrated in interpreted fold closures, and has a sub-vertical plunge.
In addition, drilling is targeting shallow, high-grade gold at St Anne’s, which has yet to be included in a mineral resource estimate. More than 6,000 metres have been drilled since early June 2022 and the program is ongoing.
An updated pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the project is progressing positively and remains on schedule for release in September.
Result highlights
Drilling intersected broad zones of gold outside of the 2021 Turnberry Scoping Study open pit shell, including:
- 51 metres at 1.64 g/t gold from 264 metres (226 metres below surface) including 21 metres at 3.44 g/t;
- 47 metres at 1.30 g/t from 256 metres (215 metres below surface) including 17 metres at 2.44 g/t;
- 24 metres at 1.21 g/t from 335 metres (263 metres below surface) including 2 metres at 11.53 g/t;
- 17 metres at 2.31 g/t from 283 metres (234 metres below surface) including 7 metres at 4.55 g/t;
- 2 metres at 37.08 g/t from 366 metres (299 metres below surface) including 1-metre at 62.80 g/t; and
- 16 metres at 1.04 g/t from 56 metres (51 metres below surface) including 4 metres at 2.29 g/t.
Turnberry hole TBRCDD026 showing nuggety visible gold within chlorite-pyrite altered dolerite.
Western flank highlights
Infill drilling continues around the western flank of Turnberry Central where shallow, high-grade gold was intersected outside the mineral resource in reverse circulation pre-collars for the diamond drill holes. Some of the better intersections include:
- 16 metres at 6.67 g/t gold from 20 metres including 4 metres at 24.10 g/t;
- 11 metres at 1.25 g/t from 66 metres;
- 29 metres at 1.95 g/t from 32 metres including 3 metres at 5.23 g/t and 6 metres at 4.06 g/t; and
- 21 metres at 2.28 g/t from 100 metres including 4 metres at 5.14 g/t.
Drilling has also intersected a high-grade lode, grading up to 62.80 g/t gold, that can be traced 150 metres south to hole 21, where nuggety visible gold is evident in the core and remains open to the north and south, and at depth.
First assays from this shallow drilling are expected in late July 2022.
“Fantastic results”
Meeka managing director Tim Davidson said: “These fantastic results, which sit outside of the 2021 Scoping Study open pit design, highlight the opportunity we see to grow our Murchison Gold Project.
“Excitingly, outside the broader zones of gold, we are seeing ‘bonanza’ grades and an excellent example of visible gold in hole 26 for which assays are pending. On receipt of the remaining assays, we will re-evaluate the mineral resource for Turnberry.
“In addition, we continue to drill out a number of high-priority targets at St Anne’s and Turnberry that sit outside the mineral resource. This drilling is focused on extensions of strike and depth, and these results will also form part of the next mineral resource update. First assays from this drilling are expected in late July 2022.”
Andy Well
Assays have also been received from six diamond drill holes targeting the Margaret lode at Andy Well.
All six holes intersected a laminated hydrothermal vein of between 10 and 40 centimetres with mineralisation located on the basalt-porphyry contact in the footwall of the Suzie lode some 150 to 185 metres below surface.
Better intersections from this drilling include 0.3 metres at 21.94 g/t gold from 173.7 metres including 0.04 metres at 79.93 g/t; 0.2 metres at 23.86 g/t from 213.4 metres; and 2 metres at 8.35 g/t from 133 metres including 1-metre at 15.60 g/t gold.
While the high grades returned from two of the holes are typical of Andy Well-style mineralisation, future drilling will be completed from an underground platform once mining has recommenced, allowing a deeper target position to be effectively intersected with fewer drill metres.