Critical Resources (ASX:CRR) defines soil anomalies at Stony Creek

Critical Resources has reported results from 143 follow up soil samples at the Lammerlaw Gold Project in Central Otago, New Zealand, identifying multiple arsenic, antimony and tungsten pathfinder anomalies across the Stony Creek target.

Sampling extended approximately 5.4 km north to south, with the main group of elevated and anomalous responses concentrated within approximately 3.2 km.

Highlights

Lammerlaw covers approximately 410 km² on the southwestern flank of the Central Otago Antiform within the Otago Schist Belt.

The project lies in a structural and metamorphic setting considered prospective for shear hosted orogenic gold mineralisation and associated tungsten and antimony systems.

Earlier targeting identified 3 priority areas, comprising the OPQ Trend including Devils Creek, the Stony Creek target and the interpreted TZ3 to TZ4 Structural Boundary.

The current program focuses on Stony Creek while also testing adjacent parts of the western project corridor.

Stony Creek was prioritised because historic antimony workings, tungsten anomalism and a regional airborne electromagnetic feature occur in the same broad area.

The soil program identified multiple arsenic, antimony and tungsten responses within the target area, providing several locations for closer field follow up rather than a single point anomaly.

Across the 143 sample program, 10 samples returned at least 30 ppm corrected arsenic, a level corresponding to approximately the 95th percentile of the sample population and used solely for anomaly recognition within this program, not as a cut off grade.

Other pathfinder results included 31 ppm raw antimony and 36 ppm raw tungsten from A1591, while A1682 returned 30 ppm corrected arsenic and 29 ppm raw tungsten, with the current sampling density not establishing continuity between anomalies.

The approximately 3.2 km dimension represents the separation between anomalous point samples and does not represent the strike length or continuity of a geochemical or mineralised trend.

The announcement also states that sampling is not sufficiently close spaced to establish geological or grade continuity or support a Mineral Resource or Exploration Target.

Critical Resources Managing Director Tim Wither said:

“These remain pathfinder geochemical results rather than gold assays. The next step is to infill the anomalies, map the geology and structures, collect rock samples and put selected soils through the laboratory.”

The portable XRF readings reported in the announcement are qualitative spot measurements and should not be considered equivalent to laboratory assay results.

The values are intended only as an indication of elemental presence and relative abundance and are not representative of bulk grade or mineralisation.

Gold is not analysed by pXRF, so no gold grades have been determined and no gold assay results are reported from the program.

Previously reported rock chip sampling at Devils Creek, approximately 13 km east of Stony Creek within the same permit, returned gold assays up to 5.42 g/t Au, with float samples of 1.63 g/t Au and 1.45 g/t Au along an interpreted trend.

Lammerlaw forms part of Critical Resources' 1,694 km² New Zealand footprint, with no drilling completed anywhere on the permit to date.

The next stage at Lammerlaw will include closer spaced sampling around the anomalous areas, geological inspection, targeted rock chip sampling and accredited multi element and gold analysis of selected soils.

Soil, rock chip, geological, LiDAR and geophysical data will then be integrated before a decision is made on whether drill testing is warranted.