Kalgoorlie Gold Mining is looking to plumb the depths at its La Mascotte discovery in WA’s Goldfields region after extending the strike length of the prospect from about 250m to 700m after recent drilling. It also plans to test outlying gold targets recently found by the company’s prospecting partners west of its current focus area.
KalGold says its prospecting partners were looking west and north-west of the main La Mascotte zone and detected outcropping gold mineralisation and undocumented historic workings running in a north-south striking vein in the hanging wall of the known zone of gold mineralisation.
The grades of gold mineralisation appear to vary along strike with patches of “jewellery box-style” gold mineralisation unearthed, according to the company. Shallow digging around the structure revealed a moderate westerly dip matching some veins seen in drill core.
About 200m of strike has been identified in the new western target, with KalGold saying it is likely to continue to the north and south.
KalGold will be testing the new structures with future drilling, with the aim of substantially lifting the mapping of gold mineralisation within the rapidly growing La Mascotte orebody.
KalGold has been successfully expanding the size of La Mascotte this year, with the mineralisation now extending to a 700m strike length and open in every direction. In April KalGold doubled the strike length of La Mascotte to 500m on the back of rich results going 16 grams per tonne gold.
The most recent assays returned some strong headline intercepts, including 4m at 5.79 g/t gold from 32m, 4m going 5.47 g/t gold from 100m and 12m yielding 2.09 g/t from 4m. KalGold says all results are shallow and open in all directions, boding well for future drilling.
The company is now searching to find out how deep the mineralisation runs. It says high-grade gold zone is open downdip from 120m and, after structural analysis of drill core to define final drill hole locations, will test for extensions and downdip, high-grade targets with an RC program scheduled for August, subject to rig availability.
Kalgoorlie Gold Mining's MD and CEO, Dr Matt Painter, said: “Systematic appraisal of the La Mascotte project and its surrounds continues. With outcropping and shallow gold mineralisation extended to 700m strike length, downdip extension of high-grade fresh mineralisation is next on our list. Structural analysis of drill core should provide clear targets for KalGold’s next phase of drilling.”
The company also revealed it was using independent gap analysis to identify any shortcomings of historic data used to define a pre-JORC 1990s, near- surface, open-pit mining resource estimate.
The analysis is expected to minimise the time, effort and cost associated with any further works at La Mascotte.
KalGold raised $7.5m in a November 2021 IPO to drill out its acreage, being the first company in decades to assemble the project’s tenements under one umbrella, giving it a clear run to put a cogent exploration program in place.
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By Matt Birney
