Native Mineral Resources has reported more high-grade gold samples from an outcropping quartz vein at its 100 per cent owned Music Well project north of Leonora in Western Australia. Up to 129 g/t gold has been identified in 128 samples that carried an average 3.16 g/t gold. Native Mineral could have a diamond drill rig turning on the granite-intrusive target next month.
The company says 28 of the latest crushed rock samples taken from up to 1m into the quartz vein returned gold grades above 1 g/t with 10 samples going at more than 10 g/t.
The high-grade quartz vein mostly outcrops along 250m of strike and dips below cover to the north-east and south-west. It is said to be open in all directions. Previous sampling was limited to surface outcrop.
Intriguingly, multiple samples showed visible gold with small flakes and nuggets in material excavated for bulk processing. Management says the samples with visible gold were not assayed to prevent reporting bias.
The latest results suggest a narrow vein nuggety style of mineralisation with gold confirmed to continue at least 1m below surface, according to Native Mineral Resources.
The company plans to assess the depth of the vein with drilling.
The latest assays add to previous sampling in the March quarter which returned bumper grade gold at surface including 100 g/t gold, 45.84 g/t gold and 15.02 g/t gold.
Sampling by previous explorers also delivered several high-grade results from the vein including 34.8 g/t gold and 32.47 g/t gold.
Native Mineral Resources Managing Director Blake Cannavo, said:“These latest sampling results from Music Well are exciting and highlight the significant upside and potential of the project. Given what we have uncovered so far from our first two field programs, our planned drilling program has been expedited to commence in late July.”
“Music Well continues to evolve as a very high-quality gold project and these latest results demonstrate that the gold grades obtained from previous surface samples continue at depth, with the target zone remaining open in all directions.”
Native Mineral Resources will move forward with diamond drilling to test for depth extensions of the vein after securing a $68,000 grant under WA’s Exploration Incentive Scheme.
Diamond drilling will help the company determine the vein widths and structural settings at depth, whilst also testing for parallel veins.
Native Mineral Resources is exploring Music Well for intrusion-style gold mineralisation similar to Northern Star Resources’ nearby 600,000-ounce Bundarra gold project.
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By Matt Birney
