SA’s Gawler Craton lit up with targets for Barton

ASX-listed Barton Gold has plenty of drill targets to go after in South Australia’s Gawler Craton after processing of gravity survey data has confirmed previously identified priority structural targets. The findings have corroborated the explorer’s geological understanding of the Tarcoola project and will assist in refining its targets for an upcoming drilling campaign.

Several of the targets were first identified by Barton through reprocessing of existing seismic data and new magnetic and ground-penetrating radar surveys during the preceding two years.

In addition to piquing the explorer’s interest in its prospects the gravity work also identified a new and previously unrecognised large-scale anomaly beneath the existing Perseverance open pit.

The Earlbara prospect in the northern part of the project is the first mentioned by the company when discussing an upcoming pass of the rig. The area is centred around a diagonally striking shear zone, known to host high-grade gold.

The ASX-listed Indiana Resources is set up to the east along the same shear zone and caused quite a stir in July last year with its high-grade hullabaloo. The competing junior drilled a bonanza busting metre running 159 g/t gold contained within a larger intercept of 21 metres grading 8.43 grams per tonne gold from 175m downhole.

Barton’s Tarcoola West prospect also shone brightly under the geophysical lens and the company considers it highly prospective for the precious yellow metal. Historical exploration in the area has yielded intercepts as appealing as 2m going 12.8 g/t gold from a shallow 16m downhole.

The company had a good run with the gravity surveys over the Tarcoola Central prospect containing the Perseverance pit and the newly identified large-scale anomaly. Barton says prospective structures previously interpreted, line up well with structures clearly observable in the gravity data and provide confidence in the targeting methodology.

Barton Gold Managing Director, Alexander Scanlon said: “Barton is rapidly building a new geological model for Tarcoola by combining traditional and innovative technologies. These exciting results cross-validate our prior interpretations of multiple historical and new data sets, reinforcing the significant geological prospectivity for multiple regional discoveries at Tarcoola."

“Significant growth of Tarcoola’s mineralised footprint will be a high priority for Barton during 2022.”

The junior says anomalies identified in the gravity surveys will build upon its existing data and help steady its aim as it looks to spin the drill.

Notably, the company’s horizons are broader than just the Tarcoola project. Across the explorer’s other nearby projects, its gold resource tallies over a million ounces and strategically it holds 100 per cent ownership of the region’s only gold mill.

The ambitious Barton is aiming high, targeting multi-million-ounce resources in addition to running multiple mills. Many will be watching to see if the next drill campaign hits its mark.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au