Hot on the heels of a successful $2.4 million capital raise, unlisted Barton Gold has moved to further strengthen its leadership group as the gold explorer gears up for follow-up drilling at its historic Tarcoola gold project in the Gawler Craton, South Australia, and a possible IPO this year.
Barton scored a double coup landing respected resources senior executive Mark Connelly, who has been appointed Non-Executive Chairman of the company, and experienced chartered accountant Rebecca Broughton, who joins the company as Chief Financial Officer.
Connelly has more than 30 years’ experience in the resources sector with a focus on gold and was previously Managing Director of ASX-listed Papillon Resources prior to its US$570 million merger with B2Gold in October 2014.
According to Barton, Connelly also played a key part in the 2011 US$590 million merger between Adamus Resources and Endeavour Mining, the latter where he held the position of Chief Operating Officer.
Newly appointed CFO Broughton, with more than two decades in public practice and commerce under her belt, currently holds senior finance roles at several publicly listed mining companies and is also Chief Financial Officer of ASX-listed Flinders Mines and ASX-listed gold producer Troy Resources.
Connelly is currently also Non-Executive Chairman of ASX-listed gold companies Calidus Resources, Oklo Resources and Chesser Resources.
Barton Gold Managing Director, Alexander Scanlon said: “Mark has a significant track record of leading global gold companies to successful outcomes, and Rebecca’s skills and experience as a senior finance executive in the resources sector are extensive. Their contributions and insights will be invaluable as the company pursues its project and corporate development objectives.”
Barton has been chipping away at trying to increase its geological understanding of the Tarcoola gold precinct with a view to ultimately expanding gold resources at the project.
The Tarcoola project, which hosts the historical high-grade Perseverance open-cut gold mine, covers an area of approximately 1,200 square kilometres across the north-western portion of the coveted Gawler Craton and is located about 600km north-west of Adelaide.
The company recently released an updated, JORC-compliant combined mineral resource estimate for the unmined pit-floor gold mineralisation and low-grade gold stockpiles at Tarcoola of 370,000 tonnes grading an average 1.3 grams per tonne gold for 15,800 ounces of contained gold.
Barton’s planned follow-up drilling program at Tarcoola comes after its phase one RC campaign for an aggregate 5,328m last year that resulted in multiple high-grade gold intersections from the Deliverance target zone and Perseverance West zone.
Mr Scanlon said: “The recent phase one drilling has further validated the prospectivity of the Deliverance target and generated clear priority follow-up targets, including the newly discovered Perseverance West zone. Follow-up programs will be focused upon building our geological understanding of these near-pit extensions through a combination of infill and extensional drilling.”
Armed with a full saddlebag of cash, expanding gold prospectivity and the addition of two well-credentialed executives, Barton now appears to be well placed for its potential 2021 IPO.
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