Red Rock Resources Australasia Pty Ltd (RRAL) announced it had discovered 150-year-old workings and well-developed adits at its gold exploration licences in the Victoria gold fields in Australia.
JOINT VENTURE
The joint venture company, between Red Rock Resources plc (50.1%) and Power Metal Resources plc (49.9%) said it had started a re-entry programme at the mines south of Ballarat to confirm lode continuity and grade.
Diamond drilling is scheduled to begin during the fourth quarter of 2021.
O’LAUGHLINS
O’Laughlins is located within granted exploration licence EL007271 (Blue Whale project).
RRAL said its geologists are entering the old workings to complete investigations into the nature and extent of the gold mineralisation originally exploited.
“No previous reports or indications of historical grade have so far been uncovered in the available literature so this will be the first modern day exploration at these previously forgotten workings since the 1860s.
“Other shafts and underground excavations in the immediate area will be included in the re-entry programme.
“It is hoped that a better understanding of the geometry of the lode systems along with an indication of the tenor of gold grades will be completed prior to diamond drilling scheduled for Q4 2021.”
RECENT DISCOVERIES
Enfield Reef adit entrances show a broad zone of stockwork style veining in a fault structure marked by a laminated quartz vein exposed on the eastern wall.
The geology is similar in character to that of the lode material currently exploited within the operating Ballarat underground mine 15 kilometres to the north.
Glasgow Reef was recently identified to the east of the main O’Laughlins prospect in the small adjoining licence EL007507 which is currently under application.
These hidden workings including an adit and shafts thought to have been worked in the 1860s have also recently been uncovered and sufficient work undertaken to allow access for a first pass look at the rocks exposed within.
TRAJECTORY
RRAL exploration director Dave Holden said that discovery of well-developed adits with shafts added weight to the proposition that the area was more heavily mined more than 100 years ago than previously thought.
“The known production records of the Ballarat area in that period give only a partial picture, as much production was unrecorded.
“This shortened time frame for advancing the project as a result of the discovery of historical workings in the area has RRAL on a trajectory towards potential gold discovery.”