The rods are spinning at Aruma Resources' Salmon Gums gold project in WA’s goldfields region. The Perth-based junior explorer has planned up to 5,000 meters of reverse circulation drilling in its maiden drill program that will test multiple geochemical targets over an 8.5 kilometre stratigraphic trend that is directly along strike from JV partners Pantoro-Tulla’s high-grade Scotia Gold project.
After a successful capital raise in September, Aruma is now well funded to accelerate exploration by expanding the initial 30 RC hole program to some 50 RC drill holes across ten lines of drilling with up to eight holes in each line.
Aruma reported its initial assessment of the Salmon Gums project identified three priority drill targets highlighted by coincident gold-arsenic anomalism along an identified banded iron formation over a strike length of more than 22 kilometres.
Interestingly, further review of the data reportedly uncovered the “Salmon Gums” gold anomaly from previous work conducted by Pan Australia Exploration in 1997. A strong continuous anomaly was identified by Aruma in geochemical sampling of the pedogenic carbonate zone under sandplain wheat fields. The anomaly was only partially drill tested for gold by Pan Australia, with drilling uncovering 7 metres at 2.74 grams per tonne of gold which was never followed up at the time.
The company says twelve land access agreements with local landholders have been negotiated covering an area of 82 square kilometres which includes the newly discovered “Salmon Gums” gold anomaly.
Aruma has also strategically expanded its land holdings over the greenstone belt with an additional 20 square kilometres being granted covering the south-western extension of the identified prospective strike. The company reported it is currently seeking government approval to conduct further drilling along the prospective horizon.
Aruma Resources Managing Director, Peter Schwann said: “Aruma’s 100 per cent owned Salmon Gums project has 24km of prospective strike which hosts at least two gold zones defined by historic geochemical sampling and minor drilling. Drilling the known gold bearing stratigraphy with shallow zones of more than 3m at greater than 2.5 g/t gold is a great starting point. Just to start our journey with the maiden drilling is exciting especially with pyrite/sericite alteration noted in the first hole.”
Salmon Gums sits about 30km south along strike from the high-grade Scotia gold discoveries made by JV partners Pantoro-Tulla.
The inferred and indicated surface resource estimate for the multi-deposit Scotia project, towards the southern end of the Norseman-Wiluna greenstone belt, currently stands at a 9.5 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.9 g/t for 573,000 ounces of contained gold.
Scotia also has a high-grade inferred and indicated underground resource of 1.06m tonnes going at 5.2 g/t for 180,000 ounces of contained gold.
Pantoro-Tulla continues to shine on the markets with recent high grade drill results from the Scotia Deeps returning an impressive 18 metres going 8.29 grams per tonne gold from 174 metres and 6m averaging 11.68 g/t gold from 114m.
Given the Pantoro-Tulla exploration success around the Norseman goldfields over the past 18 months, market watchers will no doubt be keen to see if Aruma can replicate similar gold intercepts with its highly anticipated maiden drilling program at the Salmon Gums project.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au
By Matt Birney
