PROOF-OF-CONCEPT DRILLING PROGRAM

Under-developed Goldfield

Wedderburn is one of Victoria’s under-developed goldfields, it has a geographical footprint comparable to other moderate-sized goldfields in the Bendigo Zone. Many “lineaments”, such as inferred cross faults, have been interpreted using the current diamond drilling exploration results and geophysical data. Geophysical exploration techniques will now be focused on the 10-kilometre strike length of unexplored auriferous reefs which have never been subjected to modern exploration.

Clive Willman & Associates (Willman) conducted geological mapping across the licence area. Willman collected bedding, cleavage & younging observations, mapped some fold axes and classified the primary reefs into the Western, Central and Eastern Groups, as described below.

Western Group

The Western Group consists of several linear clusters of mines including the 1.2 km Shaws – Potters cluster, the 400-metre Enterprise Reef and the 700-metre Tambourine Reef. At the southern end of the group, the Shaw’s Reef (Caledonia Mine), produced the highest gold production of all reef mines on the Wedderburn goldfield. North of Shaws Reef, Potters Reef is marked by many shallow shafts and an “adit” (horizontal tunnel into a side of a hill). The Enterprise Reef lies immediately north of Potters Reef and is marked by numerous shallow shafts. The Tamborine Reef is in a separate cluster of shallow shafts and open cut workings along a strike length of the 700 metres, 1.2 kilometres north of the Enterprise Reef

Central Group

The Central Group is the largest cluster of auriferous reefs with a strike length of up to three kilometres and width of at least 900 metres. The group includes Lane’s Corridor, the subject of WGL’s 2022, 3317 metre diamond-drilling program described in Exploration Information No 3, Dec 22. In addition to “Lanes Corridor” and numerous other reef structures, the Central Group includes the significant alluvial area known as Bocca Flat, where much secondary gold was extracted historically, and continues to be favourite target of modern day metal detector operators. A local resident is quoted as saying, “when the Bailiffs at the door I take the metal detector to Bocca Flat it has never failed me yet!”

Eastern Group

The Eastern Group is a 1.7-kilometre long cluster of auriferous reef workings including the Old Christmas, Buckeye, Robinson’s, Annie Jone’s and Shamrock Reefs. Mining was shallow and mostly was above the water table (about 50 m). Structural interpretation shows the Eastern Group is hosted by the same folded strata as seen across the Western and Central groups.

Completed Proof-of-Concept Drilling Program

WGL successfully completed a circa 3,317 metre diamond drilling campaign centred on Lane’s Corridor.

The central group of reefs was chosen for detailed exploration because more data existed, not because it was considered more prospective.

Twelve holes, LDH 001 to 011, were drilled in the central group of auriferous reef clusters (Lane’s Corridor) at low angles of approximately 30° with downhole lengths of 120-150 metres.

Four holes, DH 001 to 004 were drilled at low angles of 51° with downhole extents of about 400 metres.

Successfully Delineated a newly Interpreted Regional Syncline & Associated Anticlines

WGL’s 3,300-metre proof-of-concept diamond drilling program successfully delineated a newly interpreted regional syncline and associated anticlines. The synclines and anticlines extend along the full 1.75 km drill corridor. The eastern limb of this syncline is confirmed to be gold-mineralised within a narrow quartz vein. This is supported by assay data and data from historical shallow shaft workings.

Targets identified through WGL’s new interpretation of the Regional Syncline

Wedderburn Goldfield LTD’s new interpretation of the position of the 1.75 km regional syncline allows for future testing of multiple targets including:

Hinge Zones (A)
Mineralised cross faults (B)
Mineralised hinge zones (C)
Mineralised drill-hole Intersections (D)