The Company secured a new highly prospective gold project in south east Queensland within a known mineralised geographical region (ZNC ASX Release 15th April 2020).

Based on a detailed review of historical exploration activity the Flanagans project contains a compelling high-order gold target that requires validation sampling.

The project is located 70 km NE of Zenith’s 100% owned Red Mountain Gold Project, which is fully permitted for drilling (refer ZNC ASX release 25th Nov 2019). Both Zenith gold projects are situated within ~100km of Evolution’s operating gold mines at Cracow and Mount Rawdon (Figure 1).

Initial reconnaissance sampling by Zenith confirms high-grade gold, silver and copper at surface at the Flanagans prospect and nearby Great Blackall copper prospect. Rock sample results included:

  • Flanagans – gold to 5.3 g/t Au, silver to 100 g/t Ag and copper to 8.0% Cu
  • Great Blackall – gold to 3.4 g/t Au, silver to 273 g/t Ag and copper to 13.9% Cu

Surface sampling confirms the historically reported local high tenor of gold, silver and copper mineralisation at both the Flanagans and Great Blackall prospects and endorses requirement for further exploration activity (Figure 2).

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Figure 1: Flanagans Project – Location Map

Flanagans Prospect

Based on historical exploration activity the target is defined as a poorly exposed 1.5km long by 180m wide zone of sporadic quartz veining hosted in diorite.  Individual quartz veins range in size from 1cm to 1m in width with common goethite boxwork after sulphides. The quartz veins have been mapped in outcrop and in 6 shallow trenches and described as flat lying to shallow NE dipping providing potential for a vertically stacked quartz vein hosted gold mineralised system. Within this overall zone is a smaller area of historic copper workings.

Previous sampling reported strong gold in rock chips results including: 20 g/t Au, 12.0 g/t Au, 11.5 g/t Au, 5.25 g/t Au, 3.3 g/t Au, 3.2 g/t Au, 2.6 g/t Au and silver to 70 g/t Ag (QLD Mines Department open file reports cr12556, cr17773 & cr30978).  In addition, very high gold in soils were reported in 3 zones over the 1.5km of strike, peaking at 8.69g/t Au with one area 180m x 40m containing six results above 1 g/t Au.

Rock sampling by Zenith confirms the previously reported presence of high levels of gold-silver and copper in quartz veins at surface with gold results up to 5.3 g/t Au, silver to 100 g/t Ag and copper to 8.0% Cu hosted within diorite (Figure 3). Mapping showed sporadic outcrop of individual quartz veins at surface whilst veins observed in a poorly exposed historic 1m deep prospecting pit appear as a carbonate-quartz stockwork returning 1.15 g/t Au. The previously recorded shallow trenches dug in the 1980s were not located. In addition, two trial lines of soil sampling were completed along the strike of the Flanagans prospect area, with samples returning a maximum value of 1.5 g/t Au (1500ppb Au). Although returning several highly anomalous results, Zenith’s soil sampling correlates poorly spatially with very high historic soil sample results reported by White Industries.  Rock samples also confirmed a strong multi-element signature with bismuth values up to 560ppm, arsenic to 105ppm, tellurium to 323ppm and antimony to 6ppm.

Further work including additional sampling, geological mapping and possible geophysical surveys is required to determine the significance of the surface geochemical samples at Flanagans. The mineralised zone is poorly exposed with outcrop dominated by surrounding relatively unaltered diorite.

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Figure 2: Flanagans & Blackall Gold-Copper Targets

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Figure 3: Flanagans Prospect – Geochemical Sampling Results

Great Blackall Prospect

Historic exploration activity at the Great Blackall prospect about 2km south of Flanagans identified a surface zone of strongly anomalous copper and gold extending over some 200m of strike.  Rock sample results included: 5.6 g/t Au, 4.8 g/t Au and 4.6 g/t Au (QLD Mines Department open file reports cr17773).

RC drill testing (917m in 10 holes) indicated fissure veins at Great Blackall dip to the north at approximately 40 degrees containing significant gold, silver and copper, best historic results include:

  • Hole SCRC3: 6m @ 3.5% copper & 0.8 g/t gold including 2m @ 9.4% Cu, 2.10g/t Au & 60 g/t Ag (QLD Mines Department open file report cr184566).
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Figure 4: Great Blackall Prospect – Geochemical Sampling Results

Further work was recommended to test the down dip and down-plunge potential of the copper-gold zones but at the time did not proceed as the operator did not have mineral rights to the area covered by that down dip potential, now held in Zenith’s tenure.

Sampling by Zenith has confirmed the tenor of surface mineralisation at Great Blackall, rock samples returned gold to 3.4 g/t Au, silver to 273 g/t Ag and copper to 13.9% Cu (Figure 4).  A strong multi-element signature was noted with bismuth values up to 28ppm, arsenic to 349ppm, tellurium to 18ppm and antimony to 13ppm.

A small trial soil sampling survey (gold analyses only) was undertaken to cover the eastern extents of the Great Blackall prospect where gold -copper remains open along strike in historic drilling (2m @ 0.7 g/t Au and 3.0% Cu).  Zenith’s sampling shows gold anomalism remains open to the east with further sampling required to define the limits of the prospective target area at Great Blackall.

Further work including additional sampling, geological mapping and possible geophysical surveys is required to determine the significance of the surface geochemical samples at Great Blackall.