Askari Metals has tabled a maiden resource of 1.32 million tonnes running at 1.52 grams per tonne gold at its flagship Burracoppin project in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region, some 20km to the east of Merredin.
The defined resource includes mineralised zones across multiple deposits, including Benbur-Christmas Gift, Easter Gift and Lone Tree. Askari notes that there is potential for significant resource expansion between the Benbur-Christmas Gift and Easter Gift prospects and believes they join at depth, with additional possible down-dip extension.
Recent drilling at Easter Gift delivered assay results that peaked at a whopping 17.4g/t gold in 3m from 73m and an even more spectacular grade of 45g/t in 1m from 73m. Drilling at Benbur and Christmas Gift also delivered healthy gold grades and confirmed the southern extension of mineralisation.
Askari Metals managing director Gino D'Anna said: “We are very pleased with the delivery of a maiden JORC (2012) mineral resource at the Burracoppin Gold Project with a result of ~65,000 ounces of contained gold at a grade of 1.54g/t Au (using a 0.85 g/t Au cut-off grade). The delivery of the maiden resource at Burracoppin marks a significant achievement in the history of the Company.”
The Burracoppin mineralisation is associated with historic workings and proximity to shafts dating back to the 1930s. Interestingly, Burracoppin, which sits just off the Great Eastern Highway, was originally known as Burancooping-Big Hill and saw the very start of the rush to the goldfields. It was gazetted in 1891 and owes its existence to the Yilgarn gold rush.
As the site of one of Charles Hunt’s iconic wells, it was used as a rest site for those gripped by gold fever and heading to Southern Cross.
The underlying geology is Archean granite and gneiss, with interfingering greenstones featuring gold precipitated in narrow, near-vertical quartz veins. There is a combined strike of about 3km across the three separate mineralisation zones that make up the maiden resource.
Askari has plunged 1058 drillholes into Burracoppin for 17,705m of drilling and has used all of the drilling data to generate the maiden resource. The company engaged JP Consulting Services to prepare the estimate.
Importantly for the company, 15km east of Burracoppin lies Ramelius Resources’ Edna May processing plant and gold mine. Edna May hosts a mineral resource of 31 million tonnes grading 1g/t gold for a total of 990,000 contained ounces. More than 1 million ounces of gold have been produced from the mine, with annual production ranging between 66,000 and 99,000 ounces since 2011.
Askari has moved fast to define its maiden resource since drilling kicked off in 2021 and it has also recently nabbed an adjacent exploration licence, offering further scope for discovery and resource growth potential.
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By Steve Butler
