Mining development and exploration company Greatland Gold announced drilling results from its 2021 drill programme at its Scallywag license on Tuesday. The assay results demonstrated widespread geochemical anomalism, indicating the presence of mineralising processes and validating the area’s development potential.
The results of the seven holes dug at four prospects, as well as the ground Electro-Magnetic survey, have been collected. The ground electro-magnetic investigations have discovered new conductor targets for drilling in 2022.
The drilling campaign and ground EM survey at Scallywag in 2021 were the second stage of a comprehensive exploration programme that began at Scallywag and included seven holes totalling 3,863m, testing the Swan, Barbossa West, Architeuthis and Teach targets.
Swan
Swan is made up of a strong, deep aerial EM conductor (A33) that is found in an interpreted fold structure with a corresponding gravity high that has evolved next to or truncated by structures in the Kaliranu Fault Zone.
Between 15 to 25 metres of transported sediments blanket the Swan area. Huge, dark, siliceous massive silty sandstone, quartzite, dominates the geology.
On the target, two observation holes, SWD001 and SWD002, as well as three lines of ground EM, were completed. A further 1.5 km east of Swan, hole SWD003 was bored to test an aerial EM anomaly.
The geology and geochemistry of drill holes SWD001, SWD002, and SWD003 were all promising.
Conductor plates were identified to the west and east of hole SWD001.
The Au-Bi-Te-Sb (Au-gold, Bi-bismuth, Te-tellurium, Sb-Antimony) abnormal intersections could be peripheral to higher-grade mineralisation associated with the new ground EM conductive plates.
The presence of several intervals of moderately intense quartz-carbonate veining, patches of sericite, hematite, and albite hydrothermal alteration, trace sulphides, anomalous Au and Bi-Te-Sb pathfinder metal geochemistry, and a possible supergene dispersion zone, all suggest mineralising fluids were active in the area.
The source of an airborne electromagnetic anomaly was not completely explained by drilling. Surface soil sampling will also be tried to see whether a source for the apparent supergene dispersion zone can be found.
Future limited conductor targets were located in the Swan area by recently completed ground EM surveying, which will be followed up with more drilling.
Barbossa West, Architeuthis and Teach
Four drill holes, one each at Architeuthis and Barbossa West, and two at Teach were used to test magnetic and structural targets that had been discovered beneath deep cover along the Scallywag Syncline.
All of the holes intersected the basement at depths ranging from 85 to 240m and achieved their target depths. Several zones of anomalous gold and pathfinder mineralisation have been discovered.
To help clarify the stratigraphy, drive geological understanding, and improve targeting, the drill hole logging and assay data will be reviewed again.
Scallywag Results
SWD001 at the Swan target intersected significantly anomalous Au with Bi-Te-Sb pathfinder geochemistry, including 2.6m at 0.19g/t Au from 35.4m and 3m at 0.19g/t Au from 430m in Swan hole SWD001, coupled with broad zones of substantially anomalous Bi-Te-Sb pathfinders.
Three more holes at the Swan and Barbossa West prospects yielded anomalous gold and pathfinders: 7m at 0.10g/t Au from 18m in Swan hole SWD003, 1m at 0.48g/t Au from 384m in Swan hole SWD002, and 1m at 0.20g/t Au from 296m in Barbossa West hole BWD001.
A ground EM survey was performed, revealing eight intriguing EM conductor plates in four targets, including two plates next to Swan hole SWD001 above, indicating probable higher grade mineralisation close to the anomalism discovered at Swan so far.
Outlook
More work needs to be conducted at Swan, especially in terms of drill testing of ground EM conductor plates to the east and west of the region. The upcoming tests of Swan have become a priority for the group and are planned for by the 2022 field program.
The 2022 exploration drill programme is meant to test ground EM conductors at Pearl, Swan and Swan East.
The use of surface geochemistry with Ultra Fine Fraction geochemistry is planned for appropriate sites.
The group will also continue the analysis of the 2020 airborne Electro-Magnetic survey to find other “Pearl-like” aerial EM anomalies for ground EM follow-up. The drilling results from 2021 and 2020 will also be analysed further and integrated into ongoing basin-wide geophysical and geological modelling to help guide future targeting.
Shaun Day, Managing Director, Greatland Gold, commented, “We are pleased with the results from the 2021 drilling campaign on our 100% owned Scallywag licence. Gold mineralisation has been intercepted in four of the seven holes reported, which is highly encouraging.”
“These results, together with identifying several new conductor targets from the ground EM programme and results from the 2020 work, increases our confidence regarding the prospectivity for intrusion related and other styles of mineralised systems at Scallywag.”
“In addition to identifying prospective drill targets for our 2022 drill program, this rich set of data builds our understanding of the regional and prospect scale geology as we continue to develop and refine our targeting strategy ahead of our 2022 exploration programmes.”
Greatland Gold shares have dropped 2% to 12.85p following the results from the drilling operation in Scallywag.