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Highlights:
Continuous Gold Zone Identified: Alice Queen's exploration at the Dakuniba prospect within the Viani project confirms a continuous gold-bearing zone extending from the surface to considerable depths.
Significant Assay Results: The latest drilling activity recorded strong gold and silver concentrations, reinforcing continuity within the zone.
Expanded Exploration Plans: A third drilling phase is set to explore deeper mineralization and expand lateral strike zones.
Alice Queen Limited (ASX:AQX) has reported successful drilling results at its Dakuniba prospect in Fiji, confirming the presence of a continuous gold-bearing epithermal zone. The discovery follows recent diamond drilling activities within the Viani project, where exploration teams have been investigating mapped mineralization areas across the site.
Recent drill work identified a substantial gold zone extending from the surface down to greater depths. The initial diamond drill hole, identified as 24VDD001, intersected several distinct gold-rich layers. Among the most prominent results was a gold interval found within the drilling range, supported by silver concentrations. These findings affirmed the presence of mineralized zones distributed across multiple layers.
Following the first drill hole, the second diamond hole, designated as 25VDD002, reinforced the mineralization continuity. This second hole produced notable assay results recorded deeper than the initial drilling point, underscoring the sustained presence of gold concentrations across extended depths. The presence of consistent gold grades in both drill sites aligns with the characteristics of epithermal gold systems found in similar geological environments.
Exploration Strategy and Future Drilling
With the confirmation of mineralized continuity, Alice Queen has announced plans for a third drill hole to explore further vertical extensions within the Dakuniba prospect. This upcoming drill phase aims to expand the gold zone beyond the current depth, adding to the confirmed strike length. Additionally, plans are in place to conduct further assessments of the lateral strike extent, enhancing the overall understanding of mineral distribution within the identified quartz vein system.
Geological surveys have previously revealed a significant mineralized footprint at the Dakuniba site. Surface exploration indicated a large gold-silver anomaly that coincides with key epithermal vein characteristics found in the region. The identified strike length presents opportunities for extended mineralization beyond the immediate drilling zones.
Regional and Project Background
The Viani project, where the Dakuniba prospect is situated, is located on Vanua Levu, Fiji's second-largest island. Alice Queen's exploration team has focused on this region due to its established geological markers and historical evidence of precious metal anomalies. Previous surface studies revealed multiple zones containing gold, silver, arsenic, lead, and zinc concentrations, aligning with epithermal quartz vein patterns observed throughout the area.
Moving forward, Alice Queen intends to expand drilling operations across identified gold-bearing vein structures. The company's phased approach will include testing strike extensions oriented in the west-northwest to east-southeast direction. These strategic efforts aim to enhance resource understanding within the Dakuniba prospect, contributing to broader exploration outcomes within Fiji's established ASX200, mining stocks landscape.
