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AUSTRALIAN GOLD REVIEW

Patiently awaiting a discovery

by Michael Washbourne

eteran Goldfields geologist Andrew
VPumphrey knows as well as anyone
that a single significant drill result does
not always lead to a discovery, but it can
certainly point to one.
The OzAurum Resources Ltd managing
director is unashamedly eyeing a major
find at Mulgabbie North this year after
the latest batch of assay results from the
2021 drilling programme returned a very
encouraging intercept of 73m @ 1.3 g/t
gold from 17m (including 1m @ 10.35 g/t,
12m @ 2.04 g/t and 8m @ 2 g/t).
Other significant intersections recorded at OzAurum completed more than 80,000m of drilling across its
the James prospect included 7m @ 5.26 projects, including Mulgabbie North, in 2021
g/t from 41m (including 2m @ 16.02 g/t),
36m @ 1.37 g/t from 95m (including 15m
“It’s been a long journey but we’re getting there. Privately we’d
@ 2.02 g/t) and 15m @ 1.89 g/t from 56m (including 1m @ 9.29
never have been able to do the amount of drilling we did last year.
g/t).
I worked for Aberfoyle Resources as a contractor when Carosue
RC drilling has now extended the mineralised strike at Mulgabbie Dam was found and people seem to forget they had two aircore
North, about 100km north-east of Kalgoorlie and immediately rigs going flat out, another RC rig going flat out, as well as a soil
adjacent to the operating Carosue Dam mine, beyond 1.3km. programme and some diamond drilling.
“We’ve always said it’s a big system out there so those results “These things always take time. It requires a certain mass of
were no big surprise to any of us,” Pumphrey told GMJ. drilling to actually uncover something significant, not just one or
“A major discovery is what we’re aiming for. At the end of the day two holes and there’s your discovery. I’ve never seen that yet and
that’s what the market wants from us as well. We’ve had some doubt we ever will.”
excellent high-grade hits in the supergene and a number of holes Diamond drilling will also soon resume at Patricia which has
have ended in significant mineralisation. We just need to keep taken somewhat of a backward seat to Mulgabbie North in recent
systematically drill-testing our targets. That’s our strategy and months due to the intense focus on the latter.
we’re sticking to it.”
Unlike Mulgabbie North, which lies on the Keith-Kilkenny tectonic
Although the company has now adopted an aggressive approach zone, Patricia is located on the Laverton tectonic zone which
to exploration, Pumphrey remains adamant patience is what will hosts an 8-10km wide corridor of large gold deposits such as Red
deliver the ultimate reward for all parties involved. October, Wallaby and Sunrise Dam.
OzAurum completed an incredible 82,000m of RC and aircore Patricia is a historical underground mine which produced more
drilling last year – its first as a listed company – and recently than 5,000oz at an average head grade of 41 g/t.
launched a new 15,000m drilling campaign, including some
Pumphrey is eager to get back on the ground and follow up on
diamond holes at Mulgabbie North.
several promising intercepts recorded last year, including 4m @
Both Mulgabbie North and the nearby Patricia project were 38.08 g/t from 99m within 8m @ 20.9 g/t.
privately owned by Pumphrey for the best part of 30 years
“We had some excellent results last year, but we’ve always
before he decided to bring them to market via the OzAurum IPO
known it’s a structurally complex project so the key to unlocking
in February 2021 after joining forces with prominent resources
its potential will be doing the diamond drilling,” he said.
identity Martin Holland.
“Last year, in terms of the operating environment, it was just
“I’d been approached by a lot of companies, and I was never
diabolical trying to get a drill rig. We were lucky we have a drilling
happy with the deals they offered so taking it to IPO with Martin
contractor that we’ve worked with for a long time, but just even
Holland was really the only way I could see we would get the
staffing and everything was quite difficult to come by. It’s not like it
full value for our own company and incoming shareholders,”
was five years ago when you could do all this with your ears back
Pumphrey said.
because there was availability of everything.”
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