Lewis Ponds
Overview
The 100% owned Lewis Ponds project covers approximately 148 km² located 15 km east of Orange (EL5583). This is a high priority project for Godolphin due to the extensive historic gold and base metal workings, a Mineral Resource estimated at 6.2 million tonnes at 2.0g/t gold, 80g/t silver, 2.7% zinc, 1.6% lead & 0.2% copper and classified as Inferred in accordance with JORC (2012) (ASX announcement dated 2 February 2021), and freehold title held by TriAusMin (a wholly owned subsidiary of Godolphin) over the main mineralised zone.
The Lewis Ponds area was an active mining centre from the early 1800s until the 1920s. The workings were centred around two major areas being the Lewis Ponds and Tom’s Mines. All ore was processed at the Lewis Ponds mine’s treatment facility and smelter. The project hosts massive sulphide and shear hosted lead/zinc with associated precious metals, with copper to the south and a potential later stage gold overprint. Historical mining, drilling and exploration at Lewis Ponds focussed on sedimentary base metal models and not gold. Godolphin is currently concentrating its exploration efforts on gold at Lewis Ponds.
2021 Highlights
January 2021: Diamond and RC drill program commenced. Planned - 3,300 metre diamond drilling (DD) programme at Lewis Ponds. The programme has been designed to achieve three objectives:
- resource definition drilling in and around the existing Mineral Resource to improve confidence;
- increasing the resources through drilling in areas which have been highlighted as exceptional targets outside the currently defined Mineral Resource, and
- to provide mineralisation with high precious metals content for metallurgical test work. An RC drill rig has also been mobilised to Lewis Ponds to complete an initial 1,000 metre programme to drill a number of shallow targets andspecifically test gold/base metal soil anomalies highlighted in a soil sampling survey undertaken in 2020 (ASX announcement dated 15 September 2020).
A revised resource for Lewis Ponds was released on 2 February (ASX announcement dated 2 February 2021).
- An Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (JORC 2012) has been completed for the Lewis Ponds deposit with 6.2 million tonnes at 2.0g/t gold, 80g/t silver, 2.7% zinc, 1.6% lead & 0.2% copper, containing:
- 398 koz gold
- 15.9 million oz silver
- 170 kt zinc
- 99 kt lead
- 11 kt copper
- Resource estimate is reported at a 3.5g/t gold equivalent cutoff
- Mineralisation remains open in multiple directions
An RC drill programme (5 holes) was completed to test areas identified by GRL as exceptional drill targets following a detailed soil survey undertaken in 2020. Excellent gold and silver assays were returned on the Quarry Lode with best intersections of 8m @ 2.7g/t gold and 118g/t silver from 136m in GLPRC001 and 8m @ 2.85g/t gold and 30g/t silver from 122m in GLPRC002. The newly discovered Quarry Lode mineralised zone will be a focus of further drilling given its potential to significantly add to the existing overall MRE at Lewis Ponds.
2020 Highlights
In August 2020, 31 soil samples were collected as an orientation survey in an area south of the historic Tom’s Mine (800 metres south of the Lewis Ponds Mine) to validate an existing soil survey which has anomalous base metals, but where gold was not assayed. Results from Godolphin’s soil survey confirm the high historical base metal values and reveal high gold in soils (up to 2.3 g/t gold) with the top 5 samples returning >100ppb gold which indicates prospectivity for McPhillamy’s-style gold mineralisation.
In September 2020, the soil sample program was extended. A total of 320 soil samples were taken over an area which incorporated the historic Lewis Ponds Mine in the north, extending to south of the Tom’s Mine (a total strike length of 2.4 km). Assay results define significant precious and base metal anomalies over a strike length of 1,300 metres. Precious metal values of up to 6.2 g/t gold and 26.1 g/t silver have been found in soils. The gold and silver results are particularly significant as they provide high priority ‘targets” for follow up, in areas with limited historical drilling
Followup to this prompted a historic data review for precious metal potential.
- Significant historical drill holes including 91m @ 2.3g/t gold, 79g/t silver, 3.3% zinc & 2.2% lead in TLPD-12 highlight the precious metal potential at Lewis Ponds
- Re-modelling of the mineral resource at Lewis Ponds is curently in progress, focussing on areas with higher grade gold and silver grades
- Lewis Ponds currently contains an estimated Mineral Resource of 20.24Mt @ 0.5g/t Au, 33.3g/t Ag, 1.5% Zn, 0.7% Pb & 0.1% Cu, which is classifed as Inferred and Indicated in accordance with JORC (2012)
Background
The Lewis Ponds area was an active mining centre from around 1884 till the 1920s. The workings were centred around two major areas; Main Zone (also called Spicers Mine) and Tom’s Zone. Main Zone was actually the site of a smelter and an adjacent limestone quarry – postulated to be a flux source. Spicers Mine was reported to have produced around 6000 t of ore at 6.7% lead and 187 g/t silver (Rowe, 1999). Tom’s Zone was reportedly a pyrite mine and was in operation from 1913 to 1921.
Historical workings are extensive, consisting of numerous shafts (mostly collapsed and shallow) and shallow surface workings. These locations were mapped by Ardea to assist in identifying the surface expression of mineralisation and hence assist in the creation of a geological\mineralisation model.
Around two to three kilometres south of the Main Zone workings, there is another group of workings including; Mt Nicholas, Brittania, Icely and Ophir Copper Mine.
In the western part of the tenement, around Mt Bulga, there is a line of workings and mineral occurrences running over a distance of approximately 6 km. The Mt Bulga Mine was reported to have a copper grade of 6.5% and also has a historical resource from 1970.
In the far northern part of the tenement, west of Summer Hill Creek, there are numerous workings and occurrences around the historical Mt Lindsay copper mine.
Geology
The Lewis Ponds deposit lies on the east limb of the Mullions Range Anticline and is hosted within the Late Silurian Mumbil Group. The actual mineralisation is hosted within the Anson Formation, a fining up sequence from a conglomeritic base to siltstones at the top. The stratigraphic sequence has been metamorphosed to lower greenschist facies. Other deposits in the region with similar mineralisation styles include; Daydawn, Calula, Mt Lindsay, Icely and Mt Bulga.
Within the sulphide lenses at Lewis Ponds, alteration varies in intensity, mineralogy and distribution. Dip of the mineralised zones is generally steep to the northeast, however they can range from vertical to more steeply westerly dipping.
The most prominent regional structure is the Lewis Ponds Fault, located less than one kilometre to the west of Lewis Ponds, which is interpreted as a splay off the Godolphin Fault.
Two series of faults have been noted at Lewis Ponds, one regular set strikes southwest-northeast and dips to the northwest and a second dipping steeply and striking east-west.
The Lewis Ponds polymetallic deposit is a stratabound and disseminated sulphide system and is historically considered to be of a VHMS type. Godolphin has documented a later stage deformation and an orogenic overprint that has introduced a component of remobilisation and the introduction of silica respectively into the system, as well as flexuring of the stratigraphy.
Agnew (2002) concluded that Tom’s Zone was a sheet style VHMS deposit formed at or near the sea floor, which has later been deformed, remobilised and fluids introduced by the Lewis Ponds Fault. The Main Zone however has similarities with carbonate-hosted replacement deposits, where sulphides have infiltrated into the pore spaces of poorly sorted breccias. Textures within the sulphides indicate rapid sea water quenching.
Drilling has been conducted at the Lewis Ponds Project since the late 1960s, with various minor programs carried out from 1970-1990 before more intensive drilling being carried out from 1991 through to the present by Tri Origin\TriAusMin.
Over 200 hundred holes have been drilled in and around Lewis Ponds with around 75% of the holes being diamond. The latest program, drilled in February-March 2017 by Ardea, consisted of four holes, mainly drilled to obtain samples for metallurgical test work, but were also assayed. To assist in updating the geological model, these holes and other older holes on the same section (where suitable quality core still existed) were logged in a geological, mineralogical and structural context.
Resources
The current Mineral Resource Estimate was announced on 2 February 2021. Mineral Resource Estimates have previously been reported in 2005, 2016 and 2019.
The Lewis Ponds Inferred Mineral Resource, reported at a 3.5g/t gold equivalent (AuEq) cutoff, is estimated as 6.2Mt at 2.0g/t gold, 80g/t silver, 2.7% zinc, 1.6% lead and 0.2% copper and is classified as Inferred in accordance with JORC (2012). Resources have been modelled in fresh rock only, extending from 50 to 700m below surface. For more details, including assumptions, see the ASX announcement dated 2 February 2021.
| Class | Tonnage (Mt) | Grade | Contained Metal | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Au (g/t) | Ag (g/t) | Zn (%) | Pb (%) | Cu (%) | AuEq (g/t) | Au (koz) | Ag (moz) | Zn (kt) | Pb (kt) | Cu (kt) | ||
| Inferred | 6.2 | 2.0 | 80 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 6.0 | 398 | 15.9 | 17 | 99 | 11 |
| Total | 6.2 | 2.0 | 80 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 6.0 | 398 | 15.9 | 17 | 99 | 11 |
|
Note: The Lewis Ponds Lewis Pond met test-work produces high grade concentrates MRE utilises a 3.5g/t gold equivalent cut-off within mineable shape volumes that may include internal dilution. Tonnage estimates have been rounded to the nearest 0.1Mt and contained metal to the nearest 1,000 tonnes. Estimates may not sum due to rounding. |
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Metallurgical test work
Material obtained from four PQ\HQ diamond drillholes that were drilled in February-March 2017 at 200 m spacings through the deposit, was submitted to SGS (Perth) for metallurgical testwork. This was completed and reported in late 2018.
The test work showed that with an initial dense media separation (DMS) at a relatively large crushed particle size (-12.5 mm), over 90% of the sulphide and precious metals are recovered, on top of 25% of the material being rejected. DMS is a method that could be applied to ore feed that rejects lower grade or gangue material and hence allowing for higher grade process plan feed material or a lower mine cut-off.
Test work indicated that two concentrates could be produced via gravity and flotation methods. The zinc concentrate contained 66% zinc and 64 g/t silver for 80% zinc recovery, while the second Cu-Pb concentrate contained 30.3 % lead, 4.78% copper, 1,619 g/t silver and 17.6 g/t gold for 70.3% lead recovery and 61.8% Cu recovery.
The metallurgical testwork concluded that:
- The flotation process is expected to be relatively simple
- The test work material contained low talc
- A fine re-grind size (20-35 µm) may be required to liberate acceptable levels of galena (lead)
- A moderate grind size (40-60 µm) would be required for sphalerite (zinc) liberation
- Gold preferentially deports to copper-lead concentrate
- Intervals within ALD0001 (75-93 m and 110-122 m) showed poor zinc and lead recoveries respectively
More historical test work was carried out by Amdel (1994 and 1995) and Metcon (1995) on two diamond holes. However, a different process route was being tested at that time (cyanide leach for gold, followed by flotation), so comparisons between the two series of test work is not possible. The test work did indicate that only approximately 54-74% of the gold could be extracted by gravity followed by cyanide leach, indicating a proportion of the gold is locked up in sulphides.
Exploration potential
The potential to increase the Lewis Ponds Mineral Resource is considered to be high. Further infill drilling and drilling along strike not only has the potential to increase, but also to improve confidence in the Mineral Resource. A more thorough investigation of the block model in relation to existing drilling will have a high chance of identifying potential drill targets that may lead to increasing the Resource.
Although Ardea has completed a re-logging campaign on four drill sections, further benefit could be gained from further re-logging, as a large amount of historic diamond core is still stored on site. This become apparent during the 2019 Mineral Resource update and as a result hindered the creation of a new geological model and subsequent estimate.
Diamond drilling at Lewis Ponds is planned to increase confidence in the Mineral Resource model and update the geological model. It has been suggested to drill horizontal or near horizontal holes through the whole sequence as previous drilling has not really achieved a complete cross section through the complete mineralised sequence.
Depending upon land access negotiations, mapping, rock chip sampling and general reconnaissance is planned for the Mt Lindsay and Mt Nicholas/Icely/Ophir/Williams Lode areas.
| Latest News - Lewis Ponds | |
|---|---|
| Exploration Update (Lewis Ponds, Gundagai) | |
| 16/09/2021 | 930 KB |
| Drilling Program Commences at Lewis Ponds | |
| 23/08/2021 | 473 KB |
| NSW Projects Exploration Update | |
| 16/08/2021 | 19.0 MB |
