Latitude hits visible gold in WA

ASX-listed junior explorer, Latitude Consolidated is cranking through its reverse circulation drill program at the company’s Turnberry South project in WA where it has hit visible gold in one hole associated with silica-chlorite-epidote altered siltstone.

The current drill program is initially focussed on the high-grade zone at Turnberry South that interestingly, appears to plunge to the south, away from the existing mineral resource.  According to Latitude, all holes drilled as part of the second phase of drilling at Turnberry South intercepted a veined and strongly altered zone at the target depth with sulphide mineralisation observed in the rock chips.

Several high-grade intercepts were previously returned from the high-grade shoot at Turnberry South and from the high-grade zone at Turnberry Central. Best numbers include a massive 41 metre hit going 4.8 grams per tonne gold from 148m, 23m at a solid 7.1 g/t gold from 69m and 9m at 10.4 g/t gold from 162m.

The phase 2 reverse circulation drill program is progressing as planned with over 2,000m of drill samples dispatched and awaiting preparation and assay at the laboratory.

Latitude Consolidated CEO Tim Davidson, said: “It is also pleasing to see visible gold observed in the RC chips of hole 21TBRC007. Visible gold has previously been observed in drilling at Turnberry Central which is 1km to the north, however to our knowledge this is the first-time visible gold has been observed at Turnberry South.”

“A significant number of samples are currently at the laboratory, and we look forward to having them processed and updating our shareholders with the results as they are returned.”

Latitude’s flagship Murchison project covers a 343 square kilometre land holding in the prolific Murchison Gold Fields of WA. It hosts a large, high grade, 1.1-million-ounce gold resource at Turnberry. Importantly, the resource averages 1,850 ounces per vertical metre from the surface to a depth of 200m, at which point the number of drill holes drops off significantly - indicating that further drilling could create potential for further resource growth.

Turnberry is located within a greenstone belt on the north-east margin of the famed Yilgarn Craton. Mineralisation is currently defined along an impressive 1.5km strike at Turnberry, which forms part of a larger 5.5km gold anomaly. The mineral resource sits within a granted mining lease and Latitude says it remains open to the north, south and at depth.

Gold mineralisation is widespread and occurs within multiple mineralised envelopes which vary in width from 2m to 25m but is predominantly concentrated in interpreted fold closures with a probable sub-vertical plunge. The gold can often be visually indistinct given the presence of several different styles of mineralisation that manifest differently depending on the lithology of the host rock. However, gold is usually accompanied by an increase in disseminated pyrite and is associated with pervasive sericite-pyrite alteration.

Vein and shear mineralisation is also present at the contacts with mafic rocks and these zones tend to host narrow, high grades pockets with occasional visible gold seen in drill chips. Intriguingly, the best zones of gold mineralisation occur in the central portion of the resource within a highly magnetic, low-chromium fractionated dolerite unit.

Latitude says a diamond drill rig will arrive on site in the second half of November to complete diamond tails at Turnberry in addition to open pit geotechnical drilling in anticipation of a mining definitive feasibility study commencing in 2022.

Late last year, Latitude struck a landmark deal with Silver Lake resources to acquire the Gnaweeda gold project, which Turnberry forms a part and also the shuttered Andy Well mine and infrastructure.

Amazingly, between 2013-2017 the Turnberry deposit sat on the backburner while former owner Doray Minerals dug out about 330,000 ounces of gold at the nearby high-grade Andy Well mine. Andy Well produced at a cracking average grade of 8 grams per tonne.

Latitude will likely be hoping for comparable results from Turnberry as it continues its strategy of letting the drill bit do the talking.

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