logo-loader

Blackham Resources starts anticipated drilling at Matilda gold project, WA

Last updated: 14:55 18 Feb 2014 AEDT, First published: 15:55 18 Feb 2014 AEDT

matilda_gold_project_resource_jan_2013__355_x_266_5302e88f9061e

Blackham Resources (ASX: BLK) has recommenced drilling at its Matilda Gold Project, including its first drilling at the Galaxy and Mentelle prospects.

The reverse circulation rig has been mobilised to site and is now drilling at Galaxy, representing the first stage in its combined Matilda – Wiluna development strategy.

Blackham recently enhanced its Matilda Gold Project by acquiring the nearby Wiluna Mine and processing plant.

This complements Blackham's wholly-owned Matilda project - and positions the company as a near-term gold producer with a very large prospective exploration package.

The Wiluna mine holds 16.7 million tonnes at 5.3 grams per tonne gold for 2.8 million ounces, and Matilda carries 23.7 million tonnes at 1.9 grams per tonne for 1.4 million ounces. 

The Galaxy Deposit is quartz vein hosted mineralisation that outcrops at surface, and was historically mined in the early 1900’s. There is a 52,000 ounces of resource.

The deposit has recently been re-modelled, highlighting opportunities to extend the mineralised lodes closer to surface. 

Preliminary economic evaluations indicate that a modest size pit can be economically developed, with material expansion possible with further drilling.

The program will also improve resource confidence by converting inferred gold ounces to the indicated category, thus substantiating a long-term mining operation.

At Mentelle Prospect, previous explorers identified mineralisation with similar characteristics to the Matilda Mine which lies 2 kilometres to the east. 

Previous intercepts include 4 metres at 13.4 grams per tonne gold from 90 metres, and 6 metres at 4.5 grams per tonne from 99 metres. 

These results are significant as they demonstrate that Mentelle may be part of a larger gold mineralised system connected to Matilda.

The program at Mentelle will test mineralisation closer to surface and also examine open pit mine potential. 

Blackham is certainly one of the more active small cap explorers around at the moment, just last week securing a free carry to completion of a BFS for non-coal resources at its Zanthus lignite coal project.

Zanthus lies just 18 kilometres east of Sirius Resources (ASX: SIR) Nova-Bollinger nickel-copper massive sulphide discovery in the Fraser Range nickel province.

Blackham farmed out a 75% stake in the base and precious metal rights to Rumble Resources (ASX: RTR).


Analysis

The Mentelle trend has fascinating parallel structure possibilities to Matilda, a potential resource with Matilda like characteristics. A drill program will test the structure.

In a nutshell, Blackham rapidly grew the free milling Matilda deposits over the last 2 years since acquisition.  It undertook the acquisition of Wiluna Gold Plant (WGP) and infrastructure at fire sale prices.

As importantly, it unlocked the value inherent in the Matilda Gold Project.

With a multi-million ounce project with 55kms of strike and 780km2 landholding with acquisition, exploration & development cost circa A$3/oz Au resource this lightly valued developer has big plans.

Notably, all the deposits are within 26 kilometres of the Wiluna Gold Plant.

Exploration will now focus on free-milling mineralisation, this holds the key, utilising both ball mills for free-milling ore up to 1.5mtpa.

Cashed up, Blackham is trading at a Market Cap of just ~ A$17.8 million or EV of around $4/oz gold resource. We do not believe these prices or valuations will be on offer for that long.


Proactive Investors Australia is the market leader in producing news, articles and research reports on ASX “Small and Mid-cap” stocks with distribution in Australia, UK, North America and Hong Kong / China.

Australian Strategic Materials signs US$600 million LoI

Rowena Smith, CEO and managing director of Australian Strategic Materials Ltd (ASX:ASM, OTC:ASMMF), joins Jonathan Jackson in the Proactive studio to discuss the company’ s Dubbo Project, in Central West New South Wales. This project aims to extract and process critical minerals and rare earth...

10 hours, 22 minutes ago