Alice Queen proves depth continuity of high-grade epithermal gold at Dakuniba

Alice Queen’s drilling has demonstrated the continuity of high-grade epithermal gold at Dakuniba, boosting the prospectivity of the Viani project in Fiji.

Alice Queen drilling confirms continuity of high-grade epithermal gold at Dakuniba from surface to 175m. Pic: Getty Images

Special Report: Drilling has confirmed the high-grade epithermal gold zone at the Dakuniba prospect within Alice Queen’s Viani project in Fiji is continuous from surface to a depth of 175m.

• Alice Queen diamond drilling confirms continuity of high-grade epithermal gold zone at the Dakuniba prospect from surface to 175m
• Second hole returns top assay of 4.14m at 6.13g/t gold and 9.42g/t silver 80m below mineralisation in first hole
• A third hole is being drilled to test 100m below 25VDD002

The zone was initially intersected by the company’s first diamond hole at the prospect, which was drilled to test high-grade, low-sulphidation epithermal gold mineralisation previously mapped over a 3km area.

Hole 24VDD001 intersected several zones of gold mineralisation from 103.5 to 166.88m including 1.25m grading 2.24g/t gold and 12.48g/t silver from 107.9m and 1.9m at 8.52g/t gold and 13.1g/t silver from 144.2m.

Notably, this intersected high-grade mineralisation ~40m below the previous hole MJVFV-5 that struck 2.2m at 11.3g/t gold.

Alice Queen’s (ASX:AQX) second diamond hole 25VDD002 has now proved the depth continuity of this zone after returning a top assay of 4.14m at 6.13g/t gold and 9.42g/t silver from 195.76m, including 0.58 metres at 26.4g/t gold and 39.7g/t silver and 0.80 metres at 11.4g/t gold and 6.52g/t silver.

This was 80m below the mineralisation in 24VDD001 with both intersections occurring within a broader zone of anomalous gold from a down-hole depth of 44m that is hosted in intense sericite silica alteration.

Mineralisation remains open at depth and a third hole is being drilled to test 100m below 25VDD002.

Cross section of drilling. Pic: Alice Queen

Prospectivity upgraded

“We are very excited that this demonstrates continuity of high-grade epithermal gold from surface to a depth of 175 metres, which has upgraded the prospectivity of this project,” managing director Andrew Buxton said. 

“This is why epithermal gold deposits are so sought after globally…high-grade gold and continuity. 

“Hole 3, currently drilling, is currently approaching the target zone. If it comes in as planned, hole 3 could extend the vertical high-grade gold along a vertical interval of circa 275 metres. That would be significant. 

“That being said, given the surface strike is greater than 3km, plans are on foot to design our next holes to test the lateral strike extent of this high-grade gold epithermal system at Viani. Watch this space.”

Viani is on Fiji’s second largest island Vanua Levu.

Previous surface exploration had outlined a 3km long gold-silver-arsenic-lead-zinc-barium anomaly that correlates with low sulphidation epithermal quartz veining.

Five diamond holes drilled by Japan International Cooperation Agency between 1995 and 1997 to test the surface epithermal gold vein zone intersected results such as 2.2m at 11.3g/t gold, which AQX interpreted as testing the shallow levels of an LSE vein style gold system.

Looking ahead, the company says the next phase of drilling will test for strike extensions to the mineralisation along the west-northwest, east-southeast zone of veining and gold anomalism.

This article was developed in collaboration with Alice Queen, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing. 

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.