Abbotts Project
Abbotts encompasses some 298km2 of tenement holding comprising 105km2 granted and 193km2 in application, centred approximately 30km NNW of Meekatharra township.
Historic gold production of about 40,000 ounces is recorded from the Abbotts greenstone belt, derived principally from the Mt Vranizan (12,200 oz) and New Murchison King (24,460 oz) mines. At New Murchison King, two north-trending and steeply east dipping quartz veins up to 2.5 m wide were mined to about 100 m depth.
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Mt Vranizan
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Mt Vranizan and New Murchison King comprise a 2km long, about N-S striking zone of historic workings that were drilled with rotary airblast and reverse circulation by St Barbara Limited variously between 1994 and 1999. RC drilling on a 40mx20m grid between Mt Vranizan and New Murchison King returned significant results over the 2km strike length.
Gold mineralization occurs in quartz veins hosted by intermediate to felsic volcanic and metasedimentary rocks. N-S shear zones, NE-trending faults and NW-trending fault splays are believed to be a primary control on gold mineralisation. Many of the best gold intersections from legacy drilling data lie to the north of the main workings, yet very little drilling has tested northerly extensions; this area represents an early drilling target. Drilling depths are highly variable; rotary airblast was drilled to a maximum vertical depth of 35m and reverse circulation drilling to a maximum of 150m vertical depth, but mostly up to 100-110m vertical depth.