Ballymore Resources (ASX: BMR) is off to strong start with the discovery of a massive sulphide system in its initial drilling program at the Torpy’s Crooked Creek silver mine in Queensland.
The company has already sighted two lenses of significant lead-zinc mineralisation in the second hole of the program it began earlier this month to test the down-plunge extension to a structural shoot at the intersections of two faults.
Logging results have reported individual 1-metre samples of as much as 30% of the zinc ore mineral sphalerite and 30% of the lead ore mineral galena, and the company believes silver and other critical minerals will be associated with the massive sulphide lenses it has identified, as has historically been the case.
High-Grade Silver Opportunity
Situated near the town of Chillagoe, approximately 150km west of Cairns, Torpy’s Crooked Creek produced an average of 435 grams per tonne silver and 15.3% lead between 1904 and 1914.
The second of the two holes Ballymore has so far completed at Torpy’s intersected two lenses of visually spectacular lead-zinc mineralisation that included 6m @ 18% sphalerite and 13% galena from 87m, and 15m @ 8% sphalerite and 7% galena from 125m, with 3m @ 9% sphalerite and 17% galena from 136m.
The company is also examining untested geophysical and geochemical targets at Torpy's, which has not been drilled since a minor diamond core program in 1977, along with an electromagnetic survey of the completed drill holes to map potential extensions to the massive sulphide mineralisation.
“Intersecting massive sulphides with our second hole at Torpy’s is a tremendous result, and […] with the significant lead and zinc results validating our high hopes, we now await the all-important silver assays and the completion of the drilling program over the next month,” managing director David A-Izzeddin said.
Mount Leyshon Gold Mine
Ballymore is also drilling the Seventy Mile Mount gold target within its Ravenswood project near Charters Towers in Queensland, where the company’s initial campaign identified a secondary hydrothermal breccia and reported 40m @ 1.06g/t gold.
The 1,000m diamond drilling program is testing a target at depth that lies along strike from the nearby Mount Leyshon gold mine.
Ballymore believes Seventy Mile Mount exhibits many similarities to Mount Leyshon, which produced approximately 3.5 million ounces of gold and 2.2Moz of silver between 1986 and 2002.
Historical drilling at Seventy Mile Mount reported broad, shallow intersections including 47m @ 1.95g/t gold, with grades improving at depth, including 4m @ 12.4g/t gold from 57m to 61m.
Field programs and development works continue at Dittmer, while Ballymore expects drill testing of gold-base metal targets at the Ruddygore project to start shortly.
