New Age Exploration Ltd (ASX:NAE) expects to restart exploration at the Otago Pioneer Quartz (OPQ) gold exploration project in Otago, New Zealand, in the second half of September.
The company has engaged CRL Energy to undertake phase-I of the 2019 OPQ exploration program, which comprises geological mapping, hand auger soil sampling, drill soil sampling, rock chip sampling, XRF analysis and laboratory analysis.
The program aims to define targets for aircore drilling with trenching planned as part of a follow-up phase-II program, subject to the results of phase-I.
A subsequent phase-III program, comprising deeper reverse circulation and diamond drilling, is also planned subject to the results of the first two phases.
Program to “define gold targets”
New Age Exploration executive director Joshua Wellisch said: “We are excited to be recommencing fieldwork at our OPQ project in mid-September aimed at more closely defining gold targets for drilling planned in follow-up phases.
“The OPQ gold reef was mined over 100 years ago averaging 2 metres wide over a strike length of at least 1,200 metres and yielding an average of around 13 grams per tonne of gold.
“Our 2018 soil sampling program identified anomalous gold levels along strike in both directions away from the historical OPQ reef extending the length of the OPQ gold target up to 6 kilometres.
“The phase-I fieldwork is expected to be completed during November with gold assay results expected to be available in December when we look forward to providing a further update on these results.”
Fieldwork program
The phase-I program will encompass three areas:
- North of Lake Mahinerangi at the northern extent of the OPQ trend;
- At the southern extent of the OPQ trend; and
- Within a parallel structural zone identified in the east of the permit.
Man-portable percussion drilling is also set to penetrate into the soil horizon and bedrock where there is thicker wind-blown cover.
Geological mapping will be undertaken on a number of traverse lines over OPQ and parallel trend targets which will be mostly located in gullies where there is better outcrop exposure.