Black Cat Syndicate (ASX:BC8) reports it is preparing to start underground drilling later this month as it prowls for another Paulsens gold deposit, which is located in the Ashburton Basin in the Eastern Pilbara region of WA.
In 2018, Black Cat completed a $2 million 3D seismic survey at Paulsens. The survey along with confirmatory drilling identified a second gabbro unit (Lower Gabbro) similar to the Paulsens Mine Gabbro approximately 200m below the mine workings.
Based on interpretations of the 3D seismic data, Black Cat reports the Lower Gabbro appears to be cut by the same fault that hosts the bulk of mineralisation at Paulsens, developing a similar structural setting to Paulsens about 200m below and subparallel to the existing mine workings.
Black Cat says the interpreted target zone has a strike length of some 1,250m and has not been drilled previously.
Highlighting the structural similarities between the target zone and the Paulsens deposit, Black Cat considers this target ‘prospective’ to host a similar style of mineralisation and is a priority drill target for an upcoming drilling program scheduled to commence by the end of this month.
Black Cat Managing Director Gareth Solly said the company is looking forward to starting drilling again at Paulsens.
“We are looking forward to recommencing drilling at the 1Moz Paulsens deposit for the first time since 2017.
“This is the first high-grade gold system that proved a profitable foundation asset for previous operators”
“This is the first high-grade gold system that proved a profitable foundation asset for previous operators.
We will be progressively working through the numerous high value targets already identified adjacent to the existing workings as we unlock the potential for new lodes. Our plan is to quickly grow the underlying resource in the area and breathe life back into this sensational deposit.”
Black Cat reports the upcoming drilling program will also test for down plunge extensions at the Apollo Down Plunge.
Apollo is described as a near-surface lode immediately to the east of the underground decline, and previously mined between 2006 and 2009, producing approximately 23koz @ 6.8g/t Au.
Due to the proximity of Apollo to surface and decline infrastructure, the company says any drilling success can be readily incorporated into the mine planning.
Black Cat reports Apollo currently has a resource of 13,000oz @ 6.9g/t Au and mineralisation is interpreted to be open down plunge based on historical intersections outside of current resource including 2.28m @ 28.05g/t Au from 11.52m in PDU0241, 0.20m @ 128g/t Au from 64.30m in PDU0361.
Drillhole PDU0430 intersected 1.24m @ 35.98g/t Au from 18.72m, hole PDU0105 intersected 1.09m @ 84.84g/t Au from 17.27m, and hole PDU2421 intersected 0.25m @ 108g/t Au from 28.75m.
Black Cat has also identified a series of ‘narrow high-grade’ quartz veins within the Paulsens Mine Gabbro that it interprets to form a semi-continuous network of veining (Gabbro Veins), and these veins are located subparallel to the decline and potentially extend over a strike of about 1,000m.
Black Cat says many of these identified veins are not included in the current resource, and ‘high-grade’ historic intersections outside of the resource include 3.25m @ 131.50g/t Au from 58.8m in PPDU3745, 1.05m @ 66.20g/t Au from 118.4m in PDU2765, and 3.50m @ 46.35g/t Au from 4.5m in PDU3887.
Other intersections recorded include 1.80m @ 22.36g/t Au from 311.2m in PDU2350, 4m @ 10.89g/t Au from 508m in PDU2153, and 0.65m @ 82g/t Au from 105m in PDU3070.
The company reports demonstrating grade and geological continuity of these structures has the potential to rapidly increase resources, and the location of veins in close proximity to existing infrastructure has the potential for the areas to be readily incorporated into mine planning.
Black Cat has planned 22 diamond holes to test the Gabbro Veins during 2022.
Paulsens is located in the Ashburton Basin in the Eastern Pilbara Region of Western Australia, and was acquired by Black Cat in June.
The mine has produced 907,000oz @7.3g/t Au to date and currently hosts an underground resource of 89,000oz @ 5.9g/t Au for a total endowment of over 1Moz.
The project sits on the southwestern margin of the Pilbara craton in a ‘classic orogenic’ gold setting dominated by the crustal scale Nanjilgardy Fault Zone which the company says hosts several multi-million ounce gold deposits in secondary splays along the strike length of the fault, including Karlawinda (2.1Moz Au) and Mt Olympus (1.65Moz).
Known mineralisation at Paulsens is hosted in a fault splay off the Nanjilgardy Fault that offsets the Paulsens Mine Gabbro by up to 100m dip displacement, with quartz vein swarms within this fault zone hosting the majority of known mineralisation.
Black Cat reports the Kalgoorlie-based mining and maintenance contractor HP Mechanical is currently onsite establishing underground drilling platforms, and underground diamond drilling of high-priority targets will commence later this month focusing on Paulsens Repeat, Apollo Down Plunge and the Gabbro Veins.
Black Cat Syndicate is a ‘fast-growing’ Western Australian gold explorer with a vision to be a multi-operation gold mining company.
Its assets include the Coyote Gold Operation near the Western Australian and Northern Territory border, the Paulsens Gold Operation located 180km west of Paraburdoo in Western Australia, and the Kal East Gold Project near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.
Images: Black Cat Syndicate Ltd
