The Salmon Gums Project consists of two Exploration Licences (EL63/2037 and EL63/2122) and covers an area of 222km2. It is located approximately 200km south of the major regional centre of Kalgoorlie, and approximately 60km south of the mining town of Norseman.
It is also 30km directly along strike of Pantoro Limited’s (ASX: PNR) high-grade Scotia Gold Project.
Aruma’s E63/2037 (yellow) was pegged on the minimal greenstone but good magnetics after the details of the Panda Discovery at Scotia (red) were investigated.
The above figure shows the three main Tengraph generated maps which clearly fit Aruma’s “Gold in Sediments” exploration model.
The pertinent features are:
Salmon Gums Project on 1VD RTP magnetics showing gold occurrences with stratigraphy continuity and the suggested target areas as the ellipses.
Aruma’s initial assessment of the Salmon Gums Project identified three priority drill targets. The Company planned to test these initial targets with regional drilling with follow-up drilling to target drill-defined anomalies.
A further data review uncovered the Salmon Gums gold anomaly from work conducted by Pan Australian Exploration Pty Ltd in 1997. This work used geochemical sampling. This strong continuous anomaly has only been partially drill tested for gold, by Pan Australian, which identified soil anomalies. Importantly, these are coincident with the target area for Aruma’s planned first phase of drilling.
The highly encouraging historic results, from the previous drilling by Pan Australian, helped Aruma define drill targets for its first phase of drilling at Salmon Gums, which has targeted known gold strata in anomalies in the southern area of the Project
Salmon Gums Project gold anomaly on drill hole plan with section locations and Pan Australian (1997) intersection projections shaded.
Pan Australian (1997) Salmon Gums Project southern drill Section 1 showing high grade intersections in holes TR26002 and TR26054
Pan Australian (1997) Salmon Gums Project drill middle Section 2 showing high grade intersections in hole TR26058
Pan Australian (1997) Salmon Gums Project northeast drill Section 3 showing low grade intersections in holes TR26007, TR26008 and TR26009
Work undertaken by Aruma
In November 2021 Aruma completed a first phase of drilling at Salmon Gums. This drilling comprised 2,298m of RC drilling in a total of 33 holes on E63/2037. The majority of the 33 holes were drilled as part of the first aim of the program to extend drilling into the area south of the Thistle prospect. The remaining ten holes were drilled at the Thistle prospect (Figure 10).
Assay results reinforced Aruma’s exploration model for the potential presence of a large gold system with thick, low tenor anomalism intersected in the targeted southern areas of the Project (ASX announcement, 21 January 2022).
The best intersection in this phase of drilling was 4m at 4.26 g/t Au in drill hole SGRC33 from 105 metres to EOH at 109 metres. This hole was drilled 70m south of historical hole T26R002, which returned a best result of 7m at 2.71g/t Au. The mineralisation occurs within a quartz vein with pyrite and pyrrhotite inclusions.
Drillhole results for assays of Phase 1 holes received to date. (>0.1g/t Au). Grid is GDA94-
The first phase of drilling confirmed that:
Further drilling at Salmon Gums to test and extend geochemistry and geophysics, including regional stratigraphic lines for geological investigation, was completed in January 2022. This second phase of drilling comprised 39 holes for a total of 3,943 metres. Refer to Aruma’s ASX announcements for details of results of its drilling programs and exploration activities.
The Figures below show the first and second phases of drilling with the various backgrounds of Google, TMI and 1VD magnetics.
Drilling location Plan for Salmon Gums North on Magnetics TMI RTP
Drilling location Plan for Salmon Gums South on Magnetics TMI-RTP
Drilling location Plan for Salmon Gums on Google Image with old and new holes
The Salmon Gums Project area with laterite and quartz veins (inset)
