Prepares For Follow Up Drilling At High-Grade Tuvatu Discovery
Lion One Metals Limited (TSX-V: LIO) (ASX: LLO) has unveiled long-term plans for drilling its new high-grade discovery beneath the exiting Tuvatu resource in Fiji.
Recognising certain surface access limitations resulting from steep topography to the east and south of the high-grade discovery as well as the need to undertake continuous drilling through the wet season, Lion One has ordered two new, deep capacity underground diamond core drill rigs from a North American supplier. Arrival of the shipment of these drills and accompanying tooling to Fiji is expected by January 2021.
In preparation for the arrival of these new drills, Lion One’s technical crew has begun preparing multiple drill stations within the existing Tuvatu decline and other underground workings.
Wally Berukoff, Chairman and CEO of Lion One Metals said underground drilling allows certain advantages including: 1) decreasing the length of holes needed to reach target depth, 2) more favourable angles at which deep, steep high-grade structures can be intersected, and 3) year-round, continuous drilling.
“We are very pleased to formulate plans for drilling our exciting new high-grade discovery,” Mr Berukoff said.
“After considering various scenarios, we decided securing underground drills suitable for an aggressive drill campaign from our existing underground development is the most advantageous way to move forward.
“This plan will result in shortened length of drill holes necessary to reach target as well as allow for more optimal angles to intersect these structures. Best of all, we will be able to drill year-round.
“Our crews have already begun underground preparations for the arrival of these drills. We are excited about this new era in exploration at Tuvatu.”
Numerous mineralised intercepts were recently encountered in hole TUDDH500w2 between down hole depths of 601m and 764 m. These include short high-grade intervals of 0.9m grading 21.37 g/t Au, 1.5m grading 25.64 g/t Au and 0.5m grading 35.11 g/t Au.
Mr Berukoff said that given the remarkable length, 163m, over which gold-bearing intervals were encountered and the presence of multiple short, high-grade intercepts, Lion One is of the opinion that TUDDH500w2 drilled parallel to and in the hanging wall of the high-grade structure intersected in holes TUDDH500 and TUDDH500w1.
He said it is possible that hole TUDDHw2 may have cut through the high-grade zone if it had successfully continued to its targeted depth of 900m. The terminus of hole TUDDH500w2 was positioned approximately 11m southwest of hole TUDDH500, thereby confirming an east- northeast and near vertical orientation of the high-grade structure.
High-grade intervals encountered in mother hole TUDDH500 include 2.0m grading 46.70g/t Au and 12.7m grading 55.43g/t Au including sub-intervals of 4.7m grading 120.16g/t Au with an exceptionally high- grade core of 0.9m grading 582.33g/t Au.
High-grade intervals from daughter wedge hole TUDDH500w1 included 85.70 g/t Au over 3.3m including two narrower intervals of 305.00 g/t Au over 0.3m and 255.00 g/t Au over 0.6m.
“Although our second wedge hole failed to reach target depth, it appears to have paralleled our high- grade structure for a considerable distance,” said Dr. Quinton Hennigh, technical advisor to Lion One.
“We can now confidently say the high-grade zone has an east-northeast and steeply dipping orientation. This knowledge enables us to better design future drill holes to more effectively intersect this important target. Our new rig is now drilling a hole from a surface position to the south and oriented northward to hit the zone at a more orthogonal orientation. “This rig will continue drilling such holes from surface for the next couple of months while we await the arrival of the new underground drills in country and prepare underground drill platforms to continue drilling through the upcoming wet season. We are eager to get back to our new high-grade structure in these new holes.”
