- West Wits Mining (WWI) records elevated gold grades at the Mt Cecelia project in Western Australia while targeting base metals
- First pass drilling returned 82 metres at 0.5 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 128 metres, as well as 56 metres at 0.55 g/t gold from 194 metres downhole
- Despite recording low levels of base metal anomalies while targeting an electromagnetics, WWI says its pleased with the new gold results
- The company now plans to reassess its initial interpretations of seven remaining electromagnetic targets
- WWI shares are down 13.6 per cent trading at 1.9 cents at 1:20 pm AEDT
West Wits Mining (WWI) has recorded elevated gold grades at the Mt Cecelia project in Western Australia while targeting base metals.
Assay results for two of four drill holes completed in the company’s first pass drilling program returned 82 metres at 0.5 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 128 metres, as well as 56 metres at 0.55 g/t gold from 194 metres downhole.
This round of drilling targeted a moderate to strong electromagnetic anomaly, SGC-1, identified from airborne and ground surveys, which was interpreted as a potential bedrock conductor that could represent base metal sulphide mineralisation.
However, the initial assays returned low levels of base metal anomalism, and given the elevated gold results, the company said it now plans to reassess its initial interpretations of the seven remaining electromagnetic targets.
Despite the unexpected outcome, CEO Jac van Heerden said the mineralisation hit in the first holes is pleasing and the size of the intersections is encouraging.
The project is the subject of a farm-in agreement between WWI and Rio Tinto Exploration.
Rio Tinto Exploration completed the initial drilling, which was hampered due to “challenging” and “unconsolidated” cover conditions that resulted in the two initial angled holes, WEWI0001 and WEWI0003, failing to reach a planned depth of 300 metres.
To reduce the cover risks, two additional holes, WEWI0004 and WEWI0005, were drilled vertically and reached the target depth.
Assay results are pending for WEWI0003 and WEWI0005, and once received, the company will undertake interpretations to guide planning for further work.
Follow up work could include further petrographic analysis to gain a better understanding of the geology and the nature of the mineralisation, as well as detailed geophysical surveys and additional drilling.
WWI shares were down 13.6 per cent trading at 1.9 cents at 1:20 pm AEDT.