Tarrina Resources Limited has intersected zinc and copper mineralisation alongside high-grade gold during its Phase 1 diamond drilling program at the Christmas Gift Gold Project within the Lachlan Fold Belt of southern New South Wales.

Assay results from the newly completed holes indicate the presence of previously unrecognised volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) style zinc and copper mineralisation separate from the project's orogenic lode-style gold system. The anomalous base metal zones measure up to 30 metres in width, with intersected grades reaching up to 1.65% zinc and 0.23% copper.

Drilling across the program returned multiple significant gold intervals, including 14.5 metres at 2.23 g/t gold from 58.0 metres and 16.4 metres at 2.06 g/t gold from 75.6 metres in hole CGDH001. Additional highlights include 4.6 metres at 5.42 g/t gold from 42.9 metres and a high-grade intercept of 0.5 metres at 42.26 g/t gold to the end of the hole in CGDH002.

The host lithologies identified in the footwall of the gold mineralisation comprise volcanic rock types commonly associated with VMS deposits in the Lachlan Fold Belt. According to Tarrina, the semi-massive sulphides logged in the core appear to pre-date the gold mineralisation and may represent exhalative sulphides deposited concurrently with the tuffaceous intermediate volcanic host rocks.

Tarrina classifies Christmas Gift as its flagship project and most advanced asset, with the historical underground mine having produced 30,000 ounces of gold at an average grade of 18 g/t.

“The zinc and copper results from the Phase 1 drilling program at Christmas Gift have added another string to our bow at Christmas Gift system, providing evidence for previously unrecognised VMS style zinc and copper mineralisation on top of the considerable gold potential.”

“The presence of zinc and copper presents another exciting opportunity for the Company to make a new VMS discovery at the Christmas Gift project, particularly in the underexplored northern tenement where the prospective geology and recent soil zinc and copper anomalies coincide .”

— Francis De Souza, Chairman

Following these results, the company plans to complete detailed core logging, update its 2D and 3D geological models, and field-check soil anomalies to refine follow-up drill targets. Exploration at the project will progressively advance toward pattern reverse circulation resource drilling and the delivery of a maiden JORC gold resource.

Read the full announcement: Zinc and Copper Intersected in Drilling at Christmas Gift