Dalradian drills 28.23 g/t gold over 1.72 metres at Curraghinalt
Examining the high-grade gold veins at the Curraghinalt deposit in Northern Ireland. Source: Dalradian Resources Inc.
Dalradian Resources Inc. [DNA-TSX; DRLDF-OTC; DALR-AIM] reported the first batch of results from its ongoing drill program at the Curraghinalt gold deposit located 127 km west of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The project is 100% indirectly owned. Of the minimum 40,000 metres of drilling planned for 2017, approximately 10,000 metres will be drilled from underground (infill and geotechnical holes) and approximately 30,000 metres from surface (infill and step-out holes). Currently four drill rigs are turning underground and the surface program is scheduled to begin this summer.
Highlights
- 72 metres of 28.23 g/t gold, including 0.50 m at 94.10 g/t gold, from the V75 vein in hole 17-CT-406b
- 27 metres of 15.32 g/t gold, including 0.25 m at 128.00 g/t gold, from the V75 vein in hole 17-CT-403
- 62 metres of 27.00 g/t gold from the No. 1 vein in hole 17-CT-417
- 73 metres of 11.89 g/t gold from the Crow vein in hole 17-CT-417
Patrick F.N. Anderson, Dalradian’s President and CEO, said, “We are pleased to announce more high-grade intercepts from Curraghinalt, including several longer intercepts that demonstrate the positive effects of smaller veins and branches in the wall-rock surrounding the main vein. As a result, there is a much wider area that can be mined because it is above the average diluted grade in the mine plan. We anticipate steady news flow over the course of 2017, including results from ongoing drilling, ore-sorting tests and other testwork aimed at expanding and enhancing the project. This fully funded work program will continue to advance Curraghinalt toward production.”
The objectives of the underground drilling program are (i) to convert resources currently in the Inferred category to the Indicated category so that they may be included in the updated mine plan and (ii) to provide samples in support of an independent review of the geotechnical model in order to increase long-hole tonnage in the updated mine plan.
The infill component of the 10km UG programme also has the potential to augment grade in the sector drilled, as Curraghinalt has routinely demonstrated a strong correlation between sample support and improved grade. This is apparent in the enhancement of grade between the Inferred, Indicated and Measured resource categories and is further supported by stope reconciliation studies completed by Dalradian in 2016.
The second phase of approximately 30 km of surface drilling is expected to commence this summer, with the goal of adding new shallow ounces that can be incorporated into the updated mine plan. Refer to assay tables and maps on company website.