Plateau drilling results boost open pit potential

RNS Number : 9896W

Rockfire Resources PLC

16 December 2019

 

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.

16 December 2019

Rockfire Resources plc

("Rockfire" or the "Company")

Drilling results boost open pit potential at Plateau

Rockfire Resources plc (LON: ROCK), the gold and base-metal explorer, is pleased to announce that results from resource infill drilling at the Company's 100%-owned Plateau Gold Deposit in Queensland, Australia have returned consistent gold grades and widths.

These excellent results bolster the Company's ambition to define a high-confidence open pit gold resource. 

Resource Infill holes:

·    New results include an individual intercept of 1 m @ 8.0 g/t Au in hole BPL020;

·    30 m @ 1.2 g/t Au, including 9 m @ 3.1 g/t Au (from 39 m), in hole BPL020;

·    18 m @ 1.3 g/t Au, including 4 m @ 3.3 g/t Au (from 14 m), in hole BPL021;

·    22 m @ 1.0 g/t Au, including 5 m @ 2.7 g/t Au (from 22 m), in hole BPL022;

·    15 m @ 1.1 g/t Au, including 6 m @ 2.0 g/t Au (from 9 m), in hole BPL018;

·    20 m @ 0.5 g/t Au, including 9 m @ 1.0 g/t Au (from 12 m), in hole BPL023;

·    15 m @ 0.5 g/t Au, including 3 m @ 1.0 g/t Au (from surface), in hole BPL017;

·    BPL024 (an exploration hole), returned 40 m @ 0.20 g/t Au from surface, providing further evidence for bulk-tonnage, open cut opportunity;

·    The Company is awaiting the results from the final two drill holes (BPL012 and BPL019), which were drilled beneath the resource to determine if gold mineralisation can be tracked at depth.

Please refer to the following link to view the drill hole locations. 

http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/9896W_1-2019-12-16.pdf

 

David Price, Chief Executive Officer of Rockfire, commented:

"These near-surface infill gold results start to build confidence that an open pit gold resource may be realised at Plateau and management is very happy with the progress of work at Plateau and the results being achieved."

"In this section of Plateau, the rhyolite and associated breccia, both of which host gold, are becoming better defined with each hole drilled. Further exploration is required to determine if gold continues beyond the 400 m strike already known to contain gold."

"Results from the final two drill holes are awaited from the laboratory. These holes were drilled deeper (81 m and 87 m), beneath the gold resource to determine if gold persists at depth. The market will be informed once these results are received from the laboratory".

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

Qualified Person Statement:

Information in this announcement that relates to exploration results is based on information compiled by Mr David Price, a Director of Rockfire Resources plc, who is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (FAusIMM). Mr Price 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 under the AIM Rules - Note for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies. Mr Price 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	[e-mail]
Allenby Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser)	Tel:  [phone]
John Depasquale / Asha Chotai
SI Capital Ltd	Tel:  [phone]
Nick Emerson

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.

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.

 

END

 

 

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