お知らせ • Jun 03
Calidus Resources Limited Announces Strong Drill Results Show Potential of Open Pit At Blue Spec
Calidus Resources Limited announced strong drilling results which highlight the potential for an open-pit operation at its Blue Spec East prospect in the Pilbara. The results come from the RC drilling campaign conducted in December 2021 and January 20221. Assay results, including multi-element geochemistry, have been received now for all drill holes. The results better defined the shape of previously identified intersections and confirm that known mineralisation at depth continues to near the surface where it may be amenable to open-pit mining. Follow-up drilling is needed to determine the potential for an open-pit resource. At Blue Spec, south of the main fault zone hosting the Blue Spec and Gold Spec deposits, drilling has confirmed that a newly identified zone is highly anomalous in gold and pathfinder elements. At the historic Marble Bar Goldfield, drilling of the main quartz reef has confirmed the down-dip continuity of the reef with intersections of up to 2m @ 8.03g/t Au (including 1m @ 12.9g/t Au) present. The reef is open along strike and down dip. Blue Spec: At Blue Spec East, about 400m east of the old Blue Spec deposit, historic drilling yielded several significant intercepts. However, most of these intercepts were greater than 120m below surface and the geometry of the controlling structures was unclear. Drilling in January this year was designed to identify the potential for intercepts at depths shallow enough for an open pit and to provide a better understanding of the geometry of the mineralisation. Thirteen holes for 1,034 m were drilled with the best intercepts, using a cut-off of 0.5g/t Au, consisting of: 52m @ 1.40g/t Au from 22m in 22BSRC010, 20m @ 1.41g/t Au from 44m in 22BSRC009, 10m @ 1.95g/t Au from 81m in 22SBSRC018, 10m @ 1.26 g/t Au from 34m in 22BSRC017, and 4m @ 2.42 g/t Au from 12m in 22BSRC016. At present, the shape and orientation of the mineralisation is not well understood. Further drilling is required to refine the geometry and to establish the potential for an open-pit mineral resource. The mineralisation at Blue Spec East, unlike that at Blue Spec and Gold Spec on the main Blue Spec Shear, is low in antimony; almost all samples have <120ppm Sb. At Blue Spec South, about 800m to the west-southwest of Blue Spec East, five widely spaced RC holes between 78 and 100m deep were drilled into an east-northeast-striking zone of quartzankerite±pyrite veining with carbonatesericite alteration. Two of the five holes (22BSRC002 and 22BSRC005) intersected mineralisation (Table 1) within broader intercepts of >0.10g/t Au (12m @ 0.43g/t from 71m in 22BSRC002 and 16m @ 0.31g/t from 26m in 22BSRC005). Two of the remaining three holes showed weak gold mineralisation (5m @ 0.11g/t from 6m in 22BSRC001 and 8m @0.18g/t from surface in 22BSRC003) without any significant intercepts. However, the drilling has demonstrated the presence of another gold-bearing fluid pathway in the Blue Spec area that requires follow up work. Blue Spec Feasibility Study Update: The Blue Spec Feasibility Study is well advanced and is now expected to be released early in the September Quarter. Covid-related delays have impacted various aspects of the study, including laboratory test work and availability of technical consultants. Metallurgy test work and mining studies (including Geotechnical) are largely completed. The processing route has been finalised, however Calidus is still awaiting key input costs being the Capex/Opex of the Sulphide Float Plant and underground mining costs which are being prepared on a non-binding request for proposal from specialist Underground Mining Contractors. In parallel, Calidus is also undertaking an Owner Mining Study, as an alternate operating strategy for a relatively small underground mining operation and the existing underground capability within the Calidus management team. Calidus has also progressed all Environmental Base line studies for Regulatory Approval and is targeting submission of applications in the September Quarter. Based on feedback from Regulatory Agencies, permitting approvals to commence operations would be expected early in CY2023, which would align with the end of wet season in the Pilbara. The Blue Spec Feasibility Study contemplates a new underground mine targeting existing resources below the historic Blue Spec and Gold Spec underground workings. The results contained within this announcement are outside of the existing resource and will provide opportunity to extend the Blue Spec mine life. Marble Bar: On E45/5172, just outside Marble Bar, eight RC holes for 676m were drilled to test the down-dip potential of the main quartz reef which was the focus of historic mining on the goldfield. The only historic holes were drilled adjacent to the quartz reef. The reef strikes north to northwest and dips at about 20° to the west. The footwall to the reef was also tested for potential mineralised structures feeding into the reef. All intercepts are shown in Table 2, with the best results comprising: 2m @ 8.03g/t Au from 22m in 21MBRC005 (incl. 1m @ 11.87g/t from 23m), 2m @ 6.75g/t Au from 48m in 21MBRC002 (incl. 1m @ 12.94g/t from 48m), and 2m @ 4.53g/t Au from 85m in 21MBRC007 (incl. 1m @ 8.34g/t from 85m). Notably, two of the best three intercepts were derived from holes furthest down dip on the quartz reef. Despite patchy, and locally intense white mica alteration in the footwall, no significant mineralisation was intercepted in the footwall to the reef. Brockman Hay: At Brockman Hay, about 8km west of the Klondyke deposit, 13 holes were planned to test a zone of shearing accompanied by carbonate and variable sericite and fuchsite alteration, and quartz-ankerite veins with goethite after pyrite. Eleven of the 13 holes for 907m were drilled, with the full list of intercepts shown in Table 2. Only three holes recorded intercepts of 0.5g/t Au.