The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 ("MAR"). With the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
3 December 2019
Rockfire Resources plc
("Rockfire" or the "Company")
Drilling discovers more gold 120 m east of BPL025
Further to the announcement on 26 November 2019, Rockfire Resources plc (LON: ROCK), the gold and base-metal explorer, is pleased to announce that drilling of a new breccia zone ('Central Breccia') has discovered high-grade, near-surface gold, 120m east of drill hole BPL025 which returned 177 m @ 0.5 g/t Au.
The Central Breccia was identified from mapping and sampling by Rockfire geologists. The Company believes this new mineralised zone forms part of the near-surface expression of the large gold system encountered by the BPL025 drill hole.
· The newly identified zone includes an intercept of 1m @ 21.7 g/t Au, which is the highest gold grade encountered in drilling at Plateau;
· BPL013 intercepted an outstanding 6m @ 4.1 g/t Au (from 27 m) within a broader interval of 16m @ 1.7 g/t Au;
· BPL014 returned a similarly pleasing 12m @ 1.2 g/t Au (from 12 m) within a broader zone of: 26m @ 0.7 g/t Au;
· This Central Breccia is not currently included in Rockfire's Maiden Resource of 41,000 ounces of gold estimated in July 2019;
· A geophysical survey which is designed to detect anomalies to depths of ~500m below surface has recently been completed at Plateau. The raw results are currently being processed;
· The Company is awaiting the results from a further 11 shallow exploration/resource-infill/resource-extension drill holes from the October 2019 drill program. Further announcements will be made once these results are received from the laboratory.
Please refer to the following link to view the drill hole locations. http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/5232V_1-2019-12-3.pdf
David Price, Chief Executive Officer of Rockfire, commented:
"These results represent a new discovery which was identified by our exploration team. Previous explorers had drilled nearby but missed the high-grade breccia. We are starting to get a better understanding of the geology of this zone and the more we learn from each drill hole, the higher our drilling success rate becomes".
"These holes are interpreted to represent the near-surface expression of the large gold system encountered at depth in hole BPL025. Importantly, these holes extend the mineralised target zone by another 120m towards the east. It is our expectation that the geophysics recently completed at Plateau may highlight potential for a "sweet spot" with higher average grades at depth."
"Results from 11 more drill holes are awaited. These are resource infill/extension and pure exploration holes and the depths vary between 30 m and 90 m. The market will be kept informed of both drilling and geophysical results as they are received by the Company".
Hole ID |
East UTM |
North MGA |
RL m |
Dip |
Magnetic Azi |
Depth m |
BPL012 |
460211 |
7740481 |
321 |
-55 |
352 |
81 |
BPL013 |
459951 |
7740411 |
320 |
-60 |
152 |
50 |
BPL014 |
459931 |
7740403 |
320 |
-60 |
152 |
50 |
BPL015 |
459914 |
7740400 |
320 |
-60 |
152 |
50 |
BPL016 |
459892 |
7740396 |
320 |
-60 |
157 |
50 |
BPL017 |
460443 |
7740494 |
299 |
-55 |
352 |
29 |
BPL018 |
460408 |
7740500 |
303 |
-55 |
352 |
32 |
BPL019 |
460344 |
7740462 |
306 |
-55 |
358 |
87 |
BPL020 |
460242 |
7740505 |
319 |
-75 |
352 |
62 |
BPL021 |
460227 |
7740521 |
321 |
-60 |
352 |
32 |
BPL022 |
460205 |
7740525 |
323 |
-60 |
352 |
35 |
BPL023 |
460157 |
7740538 |
324 |
-55 |
352 |
40 |
BPL024 |
460168 |
7740547 |
324 |
-55 |
037 |
50 |
BPL025 |
459835 |
7740366 |
313 |
-78 |
005 |
215 |
Plateau October 2019 drilling collar file
About the Plateau Gold Deposit
The Plateau Gold Deposit is located in Queensland Australia, approximately 50 km southeast from the gold mining centre of Charters Towers. Plateau lies 17 km east of the operating Pajingo Gold Mine (+ 3 M oz Au), and 47 km southwest of the +10 M oz Au Ravenswood gold mining operations, including Mt Wright. Plateau is a breccia-hosted gold system, comprising similar geology and mineralisation to that seen at the nearby gold mines, Mt Wright and Kidston. Rockfire is targeting another Mt Wright-style and size of deposit.
At surface, Plateau hosts gossanous and jasperlitic veins and gold-bearing breccia at the margin of a felsic (rhyolite) plug. The deposit is under-explored but historical drilling has returned intervals of high-grade gold from a distinct circular magnetic feature. This feature is partly demagnetised and truncated by a linear northeast fault with associated polymict breccia, gossan and chalcedonic and jasperoidal silica flooding.
Previous drilling campaigns have intersected encouraging drilling intersections including 89 m @ 1.57 g/t Au from 61 m (hole PL102), 11 m @ 2.0 g/t Au from 44 m (hole PLP127) and 22 m @ 1.9 g/t Au from 39 m (BPL002).
A single, deep diamond hole drilled by Newcrest Mining in 2007 intersected 300 m @ 2.2 g/t Ag (hole PLDD06001), which highlights the potential size of the mineralised system at depth. This hole provides clear evidence that a large mineralised gold +/-silver system exists deeper below current drilling levels.
Plateau Exploration History
In 1985, Esso Australia Ltd drilled 876 m of core drilling (in 3 holes), 350 m of percussion drilling (in 4 holes) and 126 m of pre-collar drilling for a total of 1,352 m. Impressive drilling results were encountered close to surface, including: 3 m @ 4.87 g/t Au, 3 m @ 3.38 g/t Au, 89 m @ 1.57 g/t Au, 5 m @ 2.77 g/t Au, and 40 m @ 1.37 g/t Au. A total of 1,260 m of trenching was undertaken during the 1985 field season with results including 40 m @ 1.37 g/t Au (Trench 3700 E). Esso also sampled the surface rocks at Plateau, which returned a 116 g/t Au assay.
In 1988, City Resources Ltd drilled 30 reverse circulation drill holes for 1,670 m at Plateau. Values up to 16 g/t Au were intersected in drilling which tested gold mineralisation down to 60 m vertical depth. Best results from this drilling include: 8 m @ 3.03 g/t Au, 10 m @ 5.01 g/t Au, 14 m @ 2.44 g/t Au, 6 m @ 3.20 g/t Au, and 4 m @ 4.79 g/t Au.
In 2007, Newcrest Mining Limited drilled a single 853.7 m deep diamond drill hole (PLDD06001). This hole was designed to test mineralization at depth beneath the shallow mineralisation at Plateau. PLDD06001 intersected 300 m @ 2.2 g/t Ag but only low-grade gold. The drill hole intersected breccia between 150 m and 520 m below surface, confirming that the breccia is much larger than the surface expression suggests. This hole is now thought to have intersected the very edge of the projected mineralised lode, but likely too far to the west to encounter significant gold. A second hole was planned by Newcrest further to the east but this hole was never drilled.
In late 2017, Rockfire Resources plc drilled 11 drill holes for 2,111 m of reverse circulation drilling. This drilling successfully encountered 10 m @ 1.9 g/t Au, 22 m @ 1.86 g/t Au and 10 m @ 1.37 g/t Au. Significant silver was also encountered including 43 m @ 4 g/t Ag.
Qualified Person Statement:
Information in this announcement that relates to exploration results is based on information compiled by Mr Edward Fry, the Exploration Manager of Rockfire Resources plc, who is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (MAusIMM). Mr Fry has sufficient experience relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which has been undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined by the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC Code) and a "Qualified Person" in accordance with the AIM Rules Guidance Note for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies. Mr Fry consents to the inclusion in the announcement of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.
For further information on the Company, please visit www.rockfireresources.com or contact the following:
Rockfire Resources plc David Price, Chief Executive Officer |
[email protected] |
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Allenby Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser) |
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3328 5656 |
John Depasquale / Asha Chotai |
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SI Capital Ltd |
Tel: +44 (0) 14 8341 3500 |
Nick Emerson |
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About Rockfire Resources
Rockfire Resources is a mineral exploration company exploring for precious and base metals in Australia. Rockfire owns each of its exploration licences 100% and is an active and aggressive explorer.
The minerals targeted by Rockfire include gold, copper, silver and zinc, of which the company has multiple prospects and targets in Queensland, Australia. Rockfire has a portfolio of projects which are within trucking distance of operating gold mines, which may provide opportunity for toll treatment of any future resources identified.
The Company has adopted a strategy of growth based on advancing exploration on its existing portfolio of projects, as well as a continual assessment of quality opportunities to acquire outstanding mineral projects worldwide.
