en.Wedoany.com Reported - Tarrina Resources (ASX:TR8) has completed a six-hole diamond drilling program at the Christmas Gift Gold Mine in the Lachlan Fold Belt, New South Wales, Australia, intersecting gold mineralization in all holes, with the highest-grade sample returning 42.26 g/t gold. The drilling program aimed to verify historical drill results and extend mineralization along strike from the gold mine. Located approximately 15 km east of Cootamundra, the Christmas Gift Gold Mine has historically been mined only to a depth of 200 meters, while the new drilling has identified gold mineralization over a strike length exceeding 1,050 meters and at depths of up to 234 meters.
The best result came from hole CGDH002, which returned 42.26 g/t gold over 0.5 meters from 68.6 meters to the bottom of the hole, located in the footwall of the mined-out zone. The same hole also returned 5.1 meters at 2.39 g/t gold from 36.9 meters, and 4.6 meters at 5.42 g/t gold from 42.9 meters. These latest results build on the results from CGDH001 released in May, which included 14.5 meters at 2.23 g/t gold from 58 meters, and 16.4 meters at 2.06 g/t gold from 75.6 meters. CGDH001A also returned 7.6 meters at 0.89 g/t gold from 85.4 meters, as well as narrow intervals of 1.7 meters at 1.49 g/t gold from 223.3 meters and 1 meter at 1.29 g/t gold from 234 meters.
Chairman Francis De Souza stated that results from the three holes CGDH001, CGDH001A, and CGDH002 continue to confirm the presence of broader mineralization around the old workings. These holes were drilled on two sections approximately 60 meters apart. Francis De Souza noted that the results have increased confidence in the scale of the system.
Three extensional holes outside the mine also returned gold mineralization along strike to the north and south. CGDH003 returned 1 meter at 1.53 g/t gold from 76 meters, CGDH004 returned 0.8 meters at 2.21 g/t gold from 19 meters, and CGDH005 returned 1 meter at 2.33 g/t gold from 62 meters. Tarrina stated that although these intervals are narrower than those within the mine, the results confirm that quartz vein and pyrite stockwork mineralization continues along strike and at depth, beyond the depth of most historical shallow drilling.
The company noted that historical drill holes outside the mine averaged only 33 meters in depth and failed to adequately test bedrock gold mineralization below the weathering profile. Tarrina believes that supergene gold processes have redistributed near-surface gold, creating a depletion zone at depths of approximately 20 to 35 meters and potentially offsetting surface gold from bedrock mineralization by up to 100 meters. This suggests that the 1-kilometer-long gold-in-soil anomaly between Venables, Christmas Gift, and Cullinga Extended remains largely untested at depth. De Souza stated that the growing understanding of the area indicates it has undergone deep weathering and been affected by supergene gold processes, and that many historical shallow holes testing soil anomalies to the north and south have not adequately tested the underlying high-grade bedrock gold mineralization.
Tarrina's next phase of exploration will target areas beneath known soil anomalies near the mine along dip and strike. The company will complete detailed core logging and base metal assays for the first phase of diamond core, with full multi-element analysis results for silver, zinc, copper, and arsenic expected by the end of July. Concurrently, Tarrina will update 2D and 3D geological and gold grade models, conduct field checks on soil anomalies, and plan follow-up air core and reverse circulation (RC) drilling between Christmas Gift and Cullinga Extended. This work aims to confirm and extend mineralization, validate historical drill data for future resource work, and test priority targets at McLeod's Shaft, Venables, Cullinga Extended, the Western Zone, EL 9683, and the Eastern Soil Anomaly. Additionally, the company is advancing its Walparuta and Yongala projects in South Australia through geological studies, geochemistry, geophysics, and planned drilling programs.
