TNM Drill Down: Top Gold assays for Dec. 22-Jan. 6

Our TNM Drill Down features highlights of the top gold assays of the past week. Drill holes are ranked by gold grade x width, as identified by our sister company Mining Intelligence.

This period’s top drill assays come from Canada, Peru and Australia. Scottie Resources (TSXV: SCOTT) reported the best assay in hole SR22-156, which intersected 2.4 metres, grading 194 grams gold per tonne from 148 metres depth for a width x grade value of 466 at its namesake gold project in British Columbia. According to the company, the intersection was the best recorded across all targets on the property to date. Its location significantly expands the bonanza grade zone at the north end of the Blueberry contact structure. Scottie is still waiting on additional assays down plunge from this sizeable gold hit. The grades at depth reinforce that the junior is exploring a robust system with substantial upside. The Blueberry Contact zone is 2 km north-northeast of the company’s past-producing high-grade Scottie mine, 35 km north of Stewart, B.C. 

The second-best assay comes from Panoro Minerals’ (TSXV: PML) Cotabambas project in Peru, where hole CB-206 returned 341.6 metres grading 0.4 gram gold per tonne from 3.8 metres depth for a width x grade value of 137. According to the company, the drill hole delineated an extension of the high-grade zone to near surface at the west side of the North pit, intersecting 341.7 metres of primary copper sulphides averaging 0.6% copper, 0.4 gram gold and 2.75 grams silver (0.91% copper equivalent). The drill hole is thought to relate to multiple porphyry dykes, including 115.6 metres averaging 2% copper equivalent and 68.6 metres grading 2.9% copper equivalent. 

The drill results point to the potential to increase the size of the high-grade zone at both the North and South Pit. The drilling indicates continuity at depth below the pit shells’ limits. At the same time, local structure controls and correlation to geophysics results are considered excellent tools to trace the mineralization along strike. 

The third-best drill assay of the period comes from Australia-based Pantoro (ASX: PNR) and its Nicholsons/Halls Creek project in Western Australia. The company released the results from hole WNG22017, which returned 3.6 metres grading 28.6 grams gold per tonne from 45.4 metres depth for a width x grade value of 103. Pantoro says Halls Creek presents opportunities as market conditions improve. The Wagtail South ore reserve remains unmined, with development completed on two levels below the JORC-compliant reserve. Further, the Rowdies orebody, which is currently only partially developed, continues to return high-grade drilling results at depth.