The Norseman project in Western Australia has delivered for Pantoro Gold after the company reported hits of significant gold, adding what it said the potential to unlock greater growth on its operations.
Drilling at Pantoro’s Crown South and O’Briens Reef sites indicated high-grade results, one including 2.4 metres at 43.19 grams per tonne (g/t) of gold (Au), 1.15 metres at 38.95g/t Au, and 1.42 metres at 14.68g/t Au.
The company’s managing director Paul Cmrlec said that drilling at Crown South Reef has landed exceptional results “from the outset”, adding that every hole intersecting the reef where expected have displayed visible gold.
“The grades returned confirmed the outstanding potential of this orebody,” he said.
“Importantly, drilling has also intersected O’Briens Reef which already hosts a mineral resource of 130,000 tonnes at 9.57g/t Au for 40,000 ounces.
“These new results highlight significant opportunities to extend O’Briens Reef both along strike and up dip, while both reefs remain open in all directions.”
Efforts to improve mineral resource estimates have developed nicely as a result, with the company now expecting a “large step out” on the currently existing resource at the site – resulting in two independently-owned mines being operated and opened at the same time to increase production speed.
In an interview with Proactive Investors, Cmerlec said that Pantoro is now receiving a “fairly large” area together with high-grade visible gold.
“It’s consistently coming back in a large number of holes, [and] it’s exactly what we’re looking for,” he said.
Preliminary mine planning work for accessing both O’Briens and Crown South Reef has also commenced, with Pantoro adding that mentioned “potential” for mine development is to commence in the next six to nine months.
Looking closer at Crown South Reef, it has seen a further 19 holes completed and assayed, adjacent to an area of limited historic high-grade stoping and development.
“Early mine planning is well underway, leveraging the existing Bulleen Decline infrastructure, which sits just 80 metres from O’Briens and provides logical access to Crown South,” Cmerlec said.
“As we continue to increase data density, Pantoro Gold expects to make preparations for the commencement of mining as soon as possible.”
