en.Wedoany.com Reported - TG Metals (ASX:TG6) has extended the strike length of known gold mineralization by 1.8 km to the south through reconnaissance drilling at the Van Uden project in the Southern Cross-Forrestania Greenstone Belt in Western Australia, bringing the total strike length to 4.3 km.
The five-hole drilling program, conducted south of the existing resource estimate, significantly extended the mineralization zone. Notable results from the drilling include: hole TGGR052 intersected 6 meters at 5.57 g/t gold from 84 meters downhole, including 3 meters at 10.69 g/t from 84 meters; hole TGGR148 intersected 6 meters at 0.72 g/t from 27 meters; and hole TGGR149 intersected 5 meters at 0.79 g/t from 30 meters.
Preliminary results from auger drilling targeting extensions of the existing laterite resource indicate additional mineralization, potentially supporting near-term heap leach opportunities. Company CEO David Selfe stated that final assays from the Van Uden reverse circulation drilling continue to show strong high-grade gold mineralization within the current mineral resource estimate, confirming a continuous strike length of 4.3 km extending south of the historic Tasman pit, demonstrating the resource growth potential of the Van Uden shear zone. He expressed excitement about the early positive signs from auger drilling expanding the laterite gold resource, with pisolitic laterite discovered from surface, and emphasized that heap leaching is expected to provide the company with significant revenue opportunities while continuing to advance the larger production opportunity at Van Uden.
The reverse circulation drilling aimed to expand the current Van Uden resource (7.94 million tonnes at 1.06 g/t gold, containing 270,800 ounces) by infill and testing along strike to the south. Drilling successfully intercepted gold mineralization on a flat fault structure at the contact between metasedimentary rocks and basalt, which has been identified as the core of the Van Uden gold deposit. The Van Uden shear zone is interpreted to become much steeper to the east, requiring further drilling tests. At the southernmost tenement boundary, hole TGGR147 intersected Van Uden shear zone mineralization, but due to extensive sand dune cover masking surface geochemistry, the shear zone location in this area has not yet been definitively determined.
Logging of auger drilling on other laterite targets outside the current laterite resource (1.05 million tonnes at 0.52 g/t gold, containing 17,700 ounces) has confirmed the presence of pisolitic laterite, a positive sign indicating that laterite gold mineralization may increase. Heap leaching of laterite material has achieved 88% recovery in just 35 days of leaching, with recovery rising to over 90% after 52 days, including 99.8% for Tasman samples. This could result in lower capital and operating costs due to no pre-stripping requirements and minimal processing volumes.
Assay results are currently pending for four diamond holes drilled within the main Van Uden resource area, aimed at obtaining geotechnical information for mine design and providing core samples of gold-bearing fresh material. Samples from the laterite auger drilling have also been sent to the laboratory for assaying. Results from the diamond drilling and auger drilling are expected to be announced in July. TG6 is currently seeking permits for further reverse circulation drilling to extend along strike north and south of the Van Uden resource, while also advancing the work program for the laterite heap leach study.
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