QMines Limited has identified several significant gold targets at its Mount Mackenzie Gold Project through advanced reprocessing of magnetic data, with a maiden drilling program now in progress to test these promising zones.
- Reprocessed magnetic data reveals a 1.5 km magnetite-destruction corridor aligned with known gold-silver mineralisation
- Five near-surface targets identified within MDL 2008 exhibiting key structural and alteration features
- Two targets represent extensions of the hydrothermal up-flow zone, indicating potential for oxide and transitional gold expansion
- Adjacent Clive Creek Project shows structural continuity suggesting a broader magmatic-hydrothermal system
- Maiden dual-rig reverse circulation drilling program underway to test resource extensions and new targets
Advanced Geophysical Reinterpretation Unlocks New Targets
QMines Limited (ASX – QML) has taken a significant step forward in its exploration efforts at the Mount Mackenzie Gold Project, located approximately 130 kilometres northwest of Rockhampton, Queensland. By reprocessing high-resolution magnetic datasets originally collected over a decade ago, the company has delineated a 1.5-kilometre-long magnetite-destruction corridor that directly coincides with known gold and silver mineralisation zones. This reinterpretation has refined the geological framework and identified five near-surface targets that exhibit magnetic, structural, and alteration characteristics consistent with mineralised horizons typical of high-sulphidation epithermal systems.
Structural Insights and Target Significance
Among the five targets, two are particularly noteworthy as they represent the core and southern extensions of the hydrothermal up-flow zone. This zone is crucial because it is associated with the introduction of gold-bearing sulphides and magnetite destruction due to intense hydrothermal alteration. The shallow nature of these targets, combined with their proximity to the existing resource, offers promising potential for expanding oxide and transitional gold mineralisation. The structural corridor identified aligns with a magmatic-hydrothermal system developed along the Connors-Auburn Arc, a geological setting known for its productive gold mineralisation in northeast Queensland.
Extension Beyond Mount Mackenzie
Reprocessed magnetic data from the adjacent Clive Creek Project, situated about seven kilometres north-northwest of Mount Mackenzie, reveals a subdued but coherent structural fabric consistent with the Mount Mackenzie corridor. Although direct evidence of gold mineralisation at Clive Creek remains preliminary, the structural and magmatic continuity suggests it may represent an extension or a distal expression of the same magmatic-hydrothermal system. Planned reconnaissance activities including geological mapping and geochemical sampling aim to clarify the potential for mineralisation in this area.
Maiden Drilling Program Commences
In response to these encouraging geophysical findings, QMines has launched its maiden dual-rig reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at Mount Mackenzie. The program is designed to test the extensions of the current resource and evaluate the newly defined magnetic targets. Exploration Manager Tom Bartschi highlighted the importance of this work, noting that the new interpretation has significantly advanced the understanding of the gold system and that multiple rigs operating along the Connors-Auburn structural corridor provide strong potential to expand the project’s scale and geological knowledge. Assay results from the initial drilling are eagerly awaited and will be critical in confirming the resource growth potential.
Broader Context and Future Outlook
The Mount Mackenzie and Clive Creek projects lie within a Late Carboniferous to Permian magmatic belt associated with the Hunter-Bowen Orogeny, a prolific gold-producing region. The mineralisation style is characteristic of high-sulphidation epithermal deposits, hosted within altered volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. QMines’ broader portfolio includes the Mt Chalmers and Develin Creek deposits, with combined measured, indicated, and inferred resources that underpin the company’s strategy to transition towards sustainable copper and gold production. The current exploration success at Mount Mackenzie adds a compelling new dimension to this strategy.
Bottom Line?
As QMines advances drilling at Mount Mackenzie, the market will watch closely for assay results that could redefine the project’s potential.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the maiden drilling confirm the extent and grade of the newly identified gold targets?
- How might the structural continuity between Mount Mackenzie and Clive Creek influence future exploration priorities?
- What impact could expanded resources at Mount Mackenzie have on QMines’ development timeline and valuation?