Barton Gold has completed a first phase trial of next-generation portable exploration technology developed by the CSIRO at the company’s Tarcoola gold project in the venerated Gawler Craton region of South Australia. The revolutionary new technology, returns gold values in the field in as little as 8 hours versus several weeks for conventional laboratory-based assays. The trial is co-funded by the SA Government who kicked in an extra $100,000 under its Accelerated Discovery Initiative.
Barton listed on the ASX in June after rattling the tin for $15million in an oversubscribed Initial Public Offering . With its coffers bulging, the company wasted no time in getting the rods spinning in its quest to boost its global resource inventory of about 1.1 million ounces of contained gold at its pipeline of projects headlined by Tunkillia and Tarcoola.
Encouragingly, Barton’s heavy investment with the drill bit has paid handsome dividends with the company recently reporting a swag of stellar results including 5 metres at 48.9 grams per tonne gold, 4m at an eye-watering 61.99 g/t gold from 115m and 7m at 9.72 g/t gold from 42m that included 2m at a very healthy 23.8 g/t gold.
The completion of the Phase 1 trial of soil sampling at the Tarcoola gold project caps off a tech-driven approach to Barton’s exploration strategy. The company has undertaken systematic innovation-driven geophysical and geochemical work to unlock the full potential of its Tarcoola tenure in South Australia.
Management says refined target selection and more precise follow-up drilling is expected to follow on from geochemical analysis, ground penetrating radar and gravity survey interpretations.
Barton Gold Managing Director, Alex Scanlon said: “This sampling program concludes a very busy year in the field for Barton, during which we have completed multiple geophysical, geochemical and drilling programs. The results from Tarcoola ground penetrating radar, and over 10,300m drilling at the Tarcoola and Tunkillia Gold Projects, have been exceptional with the results of Tarcoola gravity surveys and this geochemical sampling due soon.”
“We plan to hit the ground running early next year following integration of these results with our evolving regional geological models, targeting over 20,000m of drilling and Mineral Resources Estimates for the Tarcoola and Tunkillia Gold Projects during 2022.”
A resurgence in mineral exploration over the past few years, buoyed by raising metal prices and some spectacular discoveries, has seen increasing demand on mineral laboratory services. The increasing demand coupled with labour shortages has resulted in exceedingly slow turnaround times of assays and presents a crucial bottleneck for many companies advancing an exploration project.
The CSIRO set out to resolve the problem, inventing its patented technique of delivering real time grades in the field.
Interestingly, CSIRO’s technique allows the explorer to rapidly quantify gold values in the field at parts per billion levels with high precision. Given its low capital and operating costs, the technology has the potential to be a game changer for many exploration companies.
With a cash balance of $12.9 million, Barton is well poised to continue to grow its resource base into the new year – however, unlike the herd of explorers who are having to wait up to 6 weeks for sample assays to return from the lab, Barton just might have eked out a material advantage by riding shotgun with the CSIRO.
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