Adelaide, Oct 24, 2006 (ABN Newswire) - Minotaur Exploration Limited (ASX: MEP) has completed a program of shallow RC drilling in the central and northern parts of the Area 223 gold deposit at Tunkillia. The program was designed to test the extent of gold mineralisation in the "oxide" zone above and beyond known fresh-rock mineralisation, at depths of less than 70m.
Drilling, in the area tested, outlined what appears to be a coherent oxide gold capping to the Tunkillia mineralisation. Significant intercepts are:
Above known bedrock mineralisation:
LEAC141, 10m @ 4.2g/t Au from 57m (to EOH)
LEAC145, 14m @ 2.4g/t Au from 49m
LEAC148, 4m @ 5.3g/t Au from 42m
LEAC151, 9m @ 2.4g/t Au from 49m
LEAC159, 8m @ 4.8g/t Au from 50m
LEAC166, 5m @ 5.9g/t Au from 56m (to EOH)
LEAC167, 13m @ 1.6g/t Au from 53m (to EOH)
LEAC168, 8m @ 2.7g/t Au from 55m (to EOH)
LEAC170, 11m @ 3.1g/t Au from 53m (to EOH)
LEAC171, 11m @ 2.7g/t Au from 50m (to EOH)
Peripheral to known bedrock mineralisation:
LEAC146, 5m @ 12.1g/t Au from 48m
LEAC163, 12m @ 15.8g/t Au from 52m (to EOH)
LEAC165, 9m @ 1.7g/t Au from 55m (to EOH)
LEAC172, 9m @ 3.0g/t Au from 53m (to EOH)
Note: EOH (end of hole) refers to drilling that finished in mineralisation.
Much of the oxide zone mineralisation remains open along strike and the drilling at Area 223 has highlighted the potential for a significantly enhanced oxide gold resource at shallower depths than previously recognised.
Drilling Details
Forty-seven Reverse Circulation holes totalling 2871 metres were drilled within and adjacent to a conceptual pit outlined by Helix Resources Limited (Helix) at Area 223. Drilling was undertaken using a lightweight, multipurpose drill rig, capable of slimline RC drilling to a depth of 80 metres. Samples are 1-metre riffle split from an 11centimetre diameter, RC face-sampling hammer bit. Drilling was specifically aimed at sampling the up-dip extension of known bedrock mineralisation into the oxide zone which was poorly represented in previous drilling.
Thirty-six of the holes intersected significant gold mineralisation (>1g/t Au), with an additional eight holes intersecting mineralisation between 0.5 and 1g/t Au.
Drilling in the central part of the mineralised zone encountered results consistent with expectations in the vicinity of known, deeper gold mineralisation. Figure 2 highlights drillholes with intersects above 1g/t gold (over at least 2 metres), and shows their positions relative to the +1 g/t gold ore shapes previously defined by Helix. Several holes drilled beyond the extent of known mineralisation also intersected significant gold in the oxide zone, including LEAC163 which returned 12m @ 15.8g/t Au from 52 to 64m (EOH).
The mineralisation occurs east of, and above, a mafic dyke which defines the footwall of the main gold lode. Significant mineralisation was also found in this position in drillholes LEAC134, 135, 146 and 147, with mineralisation open to the north. Oxide gold mineralisation was also found to extend up to shallower depths than previously recorded, including LEAC140 where a broad zone of low grade mineralisation commenced from 12 metres below ground level.
As for the central zone, a hole drilled in the footwall position intersected gold mineralisation beyond the limits of previously known mineralisation; LEAC172 returned 9m @ 3.0g/t Au from 53 to 62m (EOH) and mineralisation remains open to the north and south.
Drilling has highlighted the potential for a significantly enhanced oxide gold resource at shallower depths than previously recognised. Metallurgical test work is currently underway on representative samples to test for gold recoveries within both the oxide and fresh zones, and also to test for the viability of heap-leach treatment of low-grade ore. Resource models are being re-assessed.
