Drill Down: Southern Cross’ Sunday Creek reports best gold hit of the week
Our Drill Down features highlights of the top gold assays of the past week (Nov. 3-10). Drill holes are ranked by gold grade x width, as identified by data provider Mining Intelligence.
Southern Copper in Australia
Southern Cross Gold (ASX: SXG) on Nov. 8 said that hole SDDSC091 cut 20 metres grading 62.7 grams gold per tonne from 430 metres depth, for a width x grade value of 1,254 at the Sunday Creek epizonal-style project in Victoria.
The hole represents a 100 metre up-dip extension of a previously drilled mineralized zone at the deposit 60 km north of Melbourne. The hole is significant at the Rising Sun target as it was drilled at one vein set, RS50, in a northeast-to-southwest drill orientation, unlike recent west-to-east drill orientations across multiple veins. The hole hit a continuous section of high grades with three intervals assaying more than 50 grams gold per tonne.
Four drill rigs are currently operating to undertake 19,000 metres of drilling planned through April.Many assays are still in the laboratory.
Kinross in Ontario
Kinross Gold (TSX: K; NYSE: KGC) reported the week’s second-best drill intercept from the Great Bear asset in northern Ontario. Hole DL-085C7 returned 3.5 metres grading 259.45 grams from 868 metres depth for a width x grade value of 908.
At the Great Bear project, Kinross drilled about 48,500 metres in the third quarter and completed feasibility-level engineering for an advanced exploration decline. The company focuses primarily on inferred drilling at depths of 0.5 to 1 km below the surface.
Directional drilling, which allows for multiple drill holes from a single pilot hole, has enhanced targeting precision. This technique is now employed on over half of the drills on site, targeting the LP Fault and Hinge zones.
The company plans to release a preliminary economic assessment in the second half of next year.
Ascott in British Columbia
Ascot Resources (TSX: ADT) reported the week’s third-best result from its Premier gold project in British Columbia. On Nov. 9, the company said that hole P23-2490 cut 6.5 metres grading 98.84 grams from 51.5 metres depth, for a width x grade value of 640.
The hole is the second-highest-grade drill intercept at the Big Missouri deposit and the highest-grade result there since 2015.
The project’s 2023 exploration program at consisted of 88 holes totalling 11,886 metres. It included exploration drilling for resource expansion and in-fill drilling of initial mining areas at the Big Missouri and Premier deposits. There was also a ground geophysical survey revealing promising anomalies in the Sebakwe, Day, and Dilworth Zones.
