Infill drilling has extended shallow high-grade silver-lead sulphide mineralisation 250 metres north of the starter zone at Maronan Metals’ (ASX:MMA) advanced project in north-west Queensland.

The fresh intercepts sit within 120 metres of the company’s fully permitted exploration decline, about 65 kilometres south of Cloncurry. They will feed a fast-tracked 40,000-metre surface infill program supporting prefeasibility work on the silver-lead deposit.

Main image: DDH1 diamond drill rig mobilised April 2023

Two of the reported holes returned the standout numbers. Hole MRN26002 cut 7.3 metres at 11.0 per cent lead and 89 grams per tonne silver from 345.7 metres on the Eastern Horizon.

That interval included a richer 4.3 metres grading 15.8 per cent lead and 118g/t silver.

Related: Maronan Metals accelerates drilling program

The same hole returned 4.05 metres at 10.2 per cent lead and 123g/t silver on the Western Horizon. A further 5.5 metres graded 6.6 per cent lead and 97g/t silver from 299 metres, including 2.6 metres at 13.0 per cent lead and 141g/t silver.

Hole MRN26003, drilled up dip, intersected a broad 14.2 metres at 3.5 per cent lead and 40g/t silver from 251 metres. That result included 3.25 metres at 5.7 per cent lead and 46g/t silver.

Managing Director Richard Carlton said the results reinforced the zone that anchored last September’s scoping study.

“With two drill rigs spinning, more than 7,000m of drilling already completed, and a third drill rig scheduled to commence in August, shareholders can anticipate regular news flows in the months ahead.

“The first holes have shown some excellent mineralization located quite near to the surface. And I think importantly, not very far away from the projected line of the exploration decline that we’ve got planned. 

“Any infill drilling, typically you’re going to have roundabouts and swings because what we’re taking is very wide space drilling and bringing the spacing down to what we need for indicated resource only about 50 meters apart.”

A third rig is due on site in August, with regular results expected to year’s end. Assays from a further nine holes remain pending.