ASX listed gold explorer Middle Island Resources has produced a slew of solid new assay results from an infill and extensional drill program at its Wirraminna gold deposit, located just 1km west of the company’s processing plant near Sandstone in WA.
Better results include 6 metres grading 6.62 grams per tonne gold from 84m down-hole and 14m @ 1.80g/t gold from 42m down-hole, including 1m at half an ounce to the tonne gold from 52m.
Other intercepts include 5m @ 2.51g/t gold from 41m down-hole and 14m @ 1.82g/t from 82m down-hole in separate drill holes.
According to the company, the drilling has outlined substantial new underground potential at the deposit, based on the delineation of a high-grade, ferruginous quartz lode that remains open down dip and down plunge.
The drilling will be used to update the mineral resource at Wirraminna, currently estimated at 550,000 tonnes grading 1.32g/t gold for 23,000 ounces.
Once updated, the company will undertake open pit optimisation studies to determine the economic feasibility of mining the deposit.
Middle Island has an option to purchase a 100% interest in the Wirraminna deposit, which lies on a granted prospecting licence.
Middle Island also reported results from a limited RC drilling program at the Cowan prospect, located 500m east of the company’s flagship Two Mile Hill deposit near Sandstone.
Middle Island continues to forge ahead with its major Two Mile Hill deposit at the greater Sandstone gold project in WA, where it has defined a JORC compliant resource of 1.13 million tonnes grading 1.33g/t gold for 48,000 ounces.
The company has also defined a significant underground Exploration Target of between 24 million and 34 million tonnes grading between 1.1 – 1.4g/t gold for 0.9 – 1.5 million ounces of gold at the Two Mile Hill Tonalite Deeps mineralisation.
Middle Island has also been investigating the use of colour and optical techniques to separate waste and mineralised sections of the Deeps’ crushed gold ores from waste materials, with considerable success.
Prospective ore deposits like the Wirraminna system offer up the opportunity of a more conventional open pit mining and ore processing route for the company’s mineral resources and potential ore reserves from the emerging Sandstone gold project.
By Matt Birney
