High-Grade Gold Discoveries at Historic Queensland Mine Bolster Exploration Campaign
Zenith Minerals has confirmed the presence of substantial high-grade gold mineralisation at surface level within its wholly owned Auburn gold project in Queensland. Recent grab rock-chip samples collected in December returned impressive results, with assays reaching up to 6.76 and 7.96 grams per tonne (g/t) gold. These samples were specifically taken from the historic Blast mine workings, demonstrating strong mineralisation right at the outcrop.
Building on Previous Reconnaissance Work
The latest findings build upon Zenith's earlier reconnaissance efforts conducted in 2022. That previous work delivered a peak rock-chip hit of 23.3g/t gold at the nearby New Camp historic workings, which is located northwest along strike from the Blast site. Notably, that sample was one of nine that exceeded 1g/t gold out of a total of 49 samples collected during the initial phase.
These results are further supported by extensive multiple coherent soil gold anomalies identified through a comprehensive 200m-by-50m grid-based soil geochemical program run by the company in 2022. This program covered a strike distance extending up to 600 metres across the project area.
Significant Soil Anomalies Connect Historic Sites
The reconfirmed soil anomalies appear to link several key historic mining and prospecting locations, including Blast, New Camp, and Big Wonder, along a north-west structural corridor. The peak soil hit recorded was 1.1g/t gold, which represents an exceptionally strong geochemical result when considering soil sampling typically measures gold in parts per billion.
To put this into perspective, soil sampling programs often test for gold at parts per billion levels – a tiny fraction of a gram. Many valuable modern discoveries have originated from gold results between just 1 and 5 parts per billion (ppb). The 1.1g/t soil hit equates to an 1100ppb surface gold geochemical response, a figure that would capture significant attention from exploration geochemists.
Consistent Gold Footprint Across Multiple Prospects
According to Zenith Minerals managing director Andrew Smith, the Auburn results highlight a consistent gold footprint across multiple prospects within the project area. The recent high-grade grab sampling, combined with earlier rock chip and soil results, reinforces the prospectivity of the mineral system.
The Auburn project sits along the eastern margin of the Auburn Arc in the New England Orogen. This represents an underexplored gold district with historic production dating from the 1880s to approximately 1915, when World War I interrupted numerous prospecting and mining ventures.
Limited Historical Exploration Leaves Potential Untapped
The project hosts numerous shallow historic workings, many among outcropping rocks, with only minor burial under younger cover. Despite relatively straightforward access, modern systematic exploration has been sparse in the area. Previous operators, including Newmont, Kirk River Mining, and Compass Resources, conducted only limited shallow trenching, selective sampling, and very shallow drilling from the 1970s through to the 1990s. Most historical holes stopped at less than 10 metres depth, leaving deeper zones and strike continuity largely untested.
Gold mineralisation at Auburn is hosted in granitic intrusives with strong alteration and limited quartz veining in higher-grade zones – features consistent with an intrusion-related gold system (IRGS). Such systems often deliver broad, laterally extensive, and vertically continuous mineralisation, pointing to solid upside potential for Zenith's exploration efforts.
Expanded Exploration Program Planned
To pursue this potential, Zenith is preparing for an expanded exploration program comprising infill soil sampling across a more detailed 100m by 50m grid and extending tests along identified structural corridors. The company also plans to launch new soil geochemical programs over priority prospects such as Truszes, Dreams of Avarice, and Feldspar, combined with additional rock-chip sampling and mapping of historic workings.
The new field work aims to confirm strike continuity between key sites and refine targets ahead of a scout reverse-circulation (RC) drilling campaign. Zenith plans to commence this drilling before mid-year, subject to permits and final planning approvals.
Complementing Nearby Flagship Project
The Auburn project complements Zenith's nearby flagship Red Mountain gold project, which is also located in the Auburn Sub-province and offers a proven IRGS and/or breccia-pipe setting. Such geological settings are similar to other previously mined giant gold systems in Queensland, including the 3.5-million-ounce Mt Leyshon, the 5.1-million-ounce Kidston, and 2-million-ounce Mt Rawdon gold projects.
Red Mountain continues to demonstrate scale with broad intercepts, such as a recent 325-metre intercept assaying 0.56g/t gold, including 139.7m at 1.05 g/t gold, accompanied by visible gold at depth. Metallurgical tests on Red Mountain material indicate low-arsenic samples with excellent free-milling characteristics, average recoveries of 83.3 percent, and up to 95.8 percent, with good gravity gold recovery.
With supportive current gold prices and Zenith's disciplined approach to exploring underexplored but prospective ground, Auburn adds another high-potential layer to the company's portfolio as drilling activities draw closer.
