Scallywag publishes exploration results

Highlights

• Hole A35RD001 targeting the A35 Prospect conductor intersected 2 m @ 2.04 g/t Au from 70 m, within a mineralised gold halo of 12 m @ 0.48 g/t Au from 69 m noting that the interval contains wet samples and immediately precedes a missing sample. Significantly, anomalous bismuth and other pathfinder geochemistry is associated with the intersection.
• Anomalous gold, strong silver and copper plus pathfinders identified while testing a conductor at the Pearl prospect (PPDD003) include: ­

- 1 m @ 1364 g/t Ag and 0.35% Cu from 76 m (remains open at depth). ­

- 1 m @ 0.76 g/t Au and 109 ppm Bi from 251 m. ­

- 1 m @ 0.1% Cu and 22.6 ppm Bi from 418 m. ­

- 1 m @ 50.9 ppm Bi from 65 m.

• These results came as a result of a ground electromagnetic (EM) survey (follow up on the 2021 programme) which confirmed and refined several EM conductor targets, testing of which commenced with reverse circulation (RC) pre-collar and diamond core drilling.

Greatland Managing Director, Shaun Day, commented: “Our recent exploration campaign at Scallywag has delivered the most encouraging results to date. At the A35 Prospect, pre-collar drilling was completed with gold mineralisation intercepted plus important pathfinder geochemistry encountered, including bismuth which is associated with the Havieron and Telfer gold-copper deposits. The high-grade silver and copper mineralisation intercepted at the Pearl Prospect, confirms the possibility of a new style of deposit being identified. The underlying deeper geophysical targets at both prospects are yet to be tested but have now been prioritised for diamond drilling in 2023. These results, together with the continual improvement in understanding of the buried geology, stratigraphy and structure, increase our confidence in the prospectivity of the ground, and our ability to vector towards intrusion related and other styles of mineralised systems at Scallywag.”

Overview of the 2022 Scallywag Programme.

Exploration work in 2022 focused on drill testing prospects and anomalies defined from previous ground EM and drilling programmes (see RNS Announcement titled “Results from the 2021 Exploration Programme at Scallywag” dated 5 April 2022).

A specialised RC rig was used to drill pre-collars ahead of completing the holes with a diamond rig with the aim of improving result turnarounds. A total of eight RC pre-collar holes for 1238 m and one diamond hole with a total depth of 488.6 m, for a total of 1726.6 m, were completed.

The approach to drilling was influenced by unexpectedly high water inflows in some areas, limiting the achievable depth of the pre-collars. The diamond rig became available late in the field season after completing other priorities, resulting in only one hole (PDD003) completed at Scallywag. Completion of the remainder of the RC pre-collars with diamond tails is planned for 2023 as is follow up drilling based on the latest results.

Pearl Prospect

Following ground EM geophysical surveys, refined EM conductor targets were generated at the Pearl prospect during the start of the field season. In addition to drilling two RC pre-collars to test the plate targets defined during 2021, an additional hole was diamond drilled from surface (being PDD003) targeting a newly identified high priority EM conductor.

Drilling intersected fine-grained, silty sandstone sediments with zones of variably intense calcareous sandstones. A zone of high water inflow and extremely broken ground, thought to be a major fault or shear structure, was intersected. No sample was able to be collected between 77m and 151m downhole, as a mud-rotary method was required to advance the hole due to challenging ground conditions.

Several small metallic chips with native copper and chalcopyrite were collected from the rubbly core at around 76 – 77 m, immediately before the area of maximum broken ground and no sample returned. Initial portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) analysis showed readings up to 17% copper, with highly anomalous silver and tungsten. Any interpretation as to the origin and nature of these metallic fragments would be highly speculative given the nature of the sampling.

Subsequent laboratory assays revealed multiple instances of anomalous precious and base metals including:

• 1 m @ 1,364 g/t Ag and 0.36% Cu from 76 m.
• 1 m @ 0.76 g/t Au with a 109 ppm Bi from 251 m.
• 1 m @ 0.11% Cu from 418 m.
• 1 m @ 50.9 ppm Bi from 65 m.

Interestingly, the high copper-silver assay interval comes from the final recovered sample before drilling conditions forced mud-rotary drilling. The poor drilling conditions are likely due to a significant structure being intersected in the hole. From the assay results at the top of the structure it is likely that this large structure is mineralised. Mineralised shear zones are hosts to many ore bodies in Australia and globally. Greatland is intending to re-drill at least part of the unsampled hole interval during its 2023 program. This will enable the Company to complete the geological picture and more fully understand the highly encouraging metal values in the PXRF reading and lab assays.

A35 Prospect

At the A35 Prospect, three RC pre-collars were drilled to target the deep interpreted EM conductor plates. Assay results for A35RD001 returned a significant gold intersection of 12 m @ 0.48 g/t Au from 69 m, including 2m @ 2.04 g/t Au from 70 m, in the weathered profile, with associated geochemical pathfinder element anomalism (see Table 2). It must be noted that the hole was also affected by water inflows and the majority of samples from the mineralised zone from around 68 m to 86 m downhole were wet or moist and there was potentially downhole smearing of the high gold grades. No sample was able to be recovered from the 72 – 73 m interval.

The results are highly encouraging as the gold and base metal anomalism may represent a supergene enrichment of primary mineralisation at depth, potentially around the untested EM plate target, and the water inflows may indicate a significant geological structure, also promising for transporting and focusing gold-copper mineralising fluids. Completion of the diamond core tails and testing of the EM plate is a priority for the 2023 programme.

Ground EM Surveying

Detailed 1D and 2D re-processing of high priority zones within the aerial electromagnetic datasets was completed as part of the 2022 work programme. An additional Ground Electro-Magnetic (GEM) survey was completed over the Pearl and A35 targets to better define the geometry and location of the interpreted bedrock conductors, prior to drilling. Approximately 20-line kilometres of fixed loop GEM data were collected, over the Pearl and A35 target areas.

Soil Sampling

A total of 339 soil samples were collected over the western part of the Scallywag licence (see Figure 3). Samples were collected mainly 100 m apart, up to 200 m in places, on 300 – 800 m spaced, east south east orientated, available cleared tracks. This work was designed to test the efficacy of the Ultra Fine Fraction analysis method which is considered useful in areas of sandy, thicker cover. Results were low in tenor and inconclusive given the small sample. Further surface sampling options are being evaluated given the relatively modest cover known in the north western part of the tenement.

Next Steps

The 2023 exploration programme at Scallywag is designed to complete the testing of the mineralisation at the Pearl and A35 prospects as well as the previously defined GEM conductors at the Swan, A35 and A34 prospects with diamond core tails to the RC pre-collars

Infill and extensional surface geochemistry in suitable areas which follows up results from the 2022 Ultra Fine Fraction geochemistry programme will also be completed.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/exploration-development/08032023/scallywag-publishes-exploration-results/