Marquee Resources (ASX:MQR) has disclosed the first assay results from its Phase 1 reverse circulation drilling program at the Yindi Gold and Lithium Project in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields, with hole 26YRC002 intersecting gold in fresh mafic rock beneath palaeochannel cover, returning 4 metres at 0.32 g/t gold from 85 metres, including 1 metre at 0.73 g/t gold from 88 metres.

Key Points

  • Hole 26YRC002 returned 4m at 0.32 g/t Au from 85m in fresh mafic rock, and 4m at 0.29 g/t Au from 72m in transitional rock, including 1m at 0.81 g/t Au from 75m.
  • The final metre of 26YRC002 (94–95m) returned 0.18 g/t Au; ground conditions stopped drilling at 95m, 45m short of target depth.
  • The second assayed hole, 26YRC003, returned a maximum of 0.06 g/t Au across 22 one-metre samples, below the 0.1 g/t Au reporting cut-off.
  • Marquee is planning diamond drilling to twin 26YRC002, test below 95m, and drill nearby ranked targets the RC program could not reach.

Drilling Results from Phase 1 RC Program at Yindi

Marquee submitted 55 samples, including 8 field quality control samples, to ALS in Perth following the Phase 1 RC program. Gold assays were received for 47 primary samples covering 25 one-metre intervals from 70m to 95m in 26YRC002 and 22 one-metre intervals from 80m to 102m in 26YRC003. The 85–89m intercept in 26YRC002 lies in fine- to medium-grained mafic rock with weak chlorite and sericite alteration and locally up to approximately 2% disseminated pyrite, with quartz veining increasing between 84m and 91m. All reported intervals are down-hole lengths and true widths are unknown. No top cut or metal equivalents were applied.

Geological Setting and Target Prioritisation

The priority target where gold was intersected was ranked using gold and arsenic data from more than 6,000 soil samples and 577 historical drill holes, within the central corridor identified through geostatistical analysis. In 26YRC002, the 72–76m intercept lies in transitional rock above the base of complete oxidation logged at 77m. In 26YRC003, the base of complete oxidation was logged at approximately 86m, with sericite- and chlorite-altered dolerite and minor magnetite below it. The geometry and continuity of mineralisation intersected in 26YRC002 remain unknown, according to the filing. This is the first gold in fresh rock Marquee has reported from its own drilling at Yindi.

Sampling, Quality Control and Planned Diamond Drilling

RC chips were collected at 1-metre intervals and submitted to ALS in Malaga, Perth. Samples were pulverised to 85% passing 75 µm and analysed for gold by 50g fire assay with AAS finish, and for 48 elements by four-acid digest. Certified reference materials, coarse blanks and field duplicates were inserted during drilling; reported standards were within two standard deviations of their certified values and both certified coarse blanks returned below detection. Marquee has requested pulp duplicate and screen fire assays on higher-grade samples to verify initial results ahead of finalising drill plans. The proposed diamond program would twin 26YRC002 to test below 95 metres and drill nearby ranked targets.