Talisman Mining (ASX: TLM), an Australian mineral development and exploration company focused on base and precious metals, has announced initial air-core drill results confirming the prospectivity of its East Peak Hill gold prospect in New South Wales. The maiden drilling program, consisting of 5,546 metres across 95 holes, has identified anomalous zones and strong indicators of a potentially large-scale gold system adjacent to the Peak Hill and Tomingley gold districts.
The East Peak Hill prospect sits near the Tomingley and Peak Hill gold district, which is currently being mined by Alkane Resources. Talisman’s air-core drilling tested a 4.5km long trend of interpreted intrusive rocks within the Junee-Narromine Volcanic Belt. This belt is known to host several major gold and copper-gold deposits, making it a highly prospective area for exploration. Initial results from Line 2 indicate both anomalous gold and promising pathfinder minerals on the eastern contact of the belt, showing a similar structural position and geochemical signature to the mineralisation at the nearby Tomingley Operations.
Assay results are still awaited for the remaining drill lines, which targeted interpreted porphyry and andesitic intrusion positions further south. Talisman’s Managing Director, Andrew Munckton, noted that the drilling program targeted andesitic intrusions and a prospective volcaniclastic/sediment contact. The intersections recorded in holes EPAC0001 and EPAC0003 show ore-grade gold mineralisation in the targeted structural position, coincident with an important geological contact, demonstrating a fertile location for orogenic gold mineralisation.
Munckton added that the alteration and mineralisation intersected at East Peak Hill appear very similar to the nearby Tomingley-style gold mineralisation and alteration. The company anticipates receiving assay results for the remaining four drill lines in the next 3-4 weeks. These lines also test the prospective contact position, potentially providing further insights into the extent and nature of the gold system.
