Alto Metals’ final assays from four reverse-circulation (RC) holes drilled for 856m at its 100 per cent-held Indomitable gold camp near Sandstone in Western Australia have confirmed broad zones of shallow oxide mineralisation.
Management says the work established the significance of the structural controls of its complex fault-system model, prompting a new diamond drilling program to be formulated for Indomitable.
Alto says examples of its impressive gold assays, using a 1m photon assay technique, include 14m at 2.6 grams per tonne from 61m, including 2m at 10.6g/t from 61m and 1m at 18.8g/t from 62m. Another hole returned 11m at 3.4g/t from 57m, including 2m at 12.6g/t from 60m and 1m at 19.8g/t from 60m.
The company says a key takeaway from the 5000m RC drill program at Indomitable to date is that the gold mineralisation has been defined in more than 3.5km along strike and remains open in all directions, lending to potential further expansion of its gold resources. It also believes the extent of the shallow gold oxide mineralisation is an indicator of a much bigger gold system at depth, which is yet to be fully defined with the drill.
Moreover, a complex fault-system structural model appears to explain the locus for gold mineralisation and will provide a targeting model for upcoming drill programs.
We are pleased to announce the final assays from this drilling program at Indomitable which has intersected more shallow oxide gold mineralisation. Importantly … gold was intersected in multiple shallow-dipping interpreted thrust faults in fresh rock at depth with higher grades typically observed where these faults intersect the steeper plunging interpreted structures. These results are now being incorporated into our targeting model for follow-up drilling. Alto Metals managing director Matthew Bowles
The company has listed future exploration programs to include diamond drilling at Indomitable and an application is pending for co-funding under the WA State Government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme. It will also undertake a RC drill program at its historic Bull Oak Mine in a bid to identify further gold resource potential once a targeting review is completed.
In the last quarter of this year, a maiden RC program is planned to try and uncover high-grade gold reef-style mineralisation at the Hacks West area and at other regional targets.
Concomitantly, management is continuing with ongoing geologic work continues that includes low-cost field mapping and soil sampling, with a particular focus on pegmatites along the Edale Shear on the eastern side of the Sandstone Greenstone Belt. The pegmatites have never been tested before and are most prospective for lithium.
Alto’s gold mineral resources have continued to grow to a total indicated and inferred open-pit gold resource of 832,000 ounces at 1.5g/t, with 90 percent within the top 150m.
It now seems it is just a matter of time before Alto becomes a gold producer with its multi-facetted exploration program and upside potential within its Sandstone gold project that covers 740 square kilometres – and, importantly, is surrounded by multi-million-ounce gold deposits and operating mines.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: office@bullsnbears.com.au