Pilbara-focused explorer Trek Metals had a busy and productive December quarter in which the potential of the Pincunah project started to unfold.
Shares in the company soared in October when the first reverse circulation drilling program at the Valley of the Gossans prospect confirmed the potential for a significant volcanogenic massive sulphide system.
Drilling hit 88m at 17 grams per tonne silver from 0m, including 4m at 223gpt silver; 25m at 6.7gpt silver from 112m, including 3m at 0.75% copper; 20m at 4.17gpt silver and 1.48% zinc from 171m, including 1m at 5.99% zinc and 6m at 3.76% zinc; and 70m at 7.39gpt silver from 0m, including 2m at 0.4% copper and 0.2gpt silver.
During the December quarter, Trek completed a second round of RC drilling comprising three holes for 816m to further test the stratigraphy, as well as a chargeability anomaly detected in an induced polarisation survey.
Assays are pending, as are results from soil sampling along strike looking to define the extent of the system.
The company has said Valley of the Gossans shared "striking" geological similarities to Develop Global's advanced Sulphur Springs copper-zinc project, 25km to the east.
Sulphur Springs has a resource of 13.8 million tonnes at 1.5% copper and 3.8% zinc and is subject to a current A$10 million drilling program under leadership of new managing director Bill Beament, with a final investment decision on a new mine expected later this year.
Trek completed a helicopter-borne electromagnetic survey over the broader Pincunah project during the December quarter, which it said further reinforced the project's prospectivity.
The survey defined 10 high-priority zones with anomalous conductive responses that represent compelling VMS copper-zinc-lead, magmatic nickel-copper and intrusive-related copper-gold targets.
"One cluster of EM anomalies is located directly along strike from Valley of the Gossans, while the second group comprises a series of strong bedrock responses extending over a strike length of 600m," Trek CEO Derek Marshall said.
"EM surveys have been shown to be an effective tool for defining massive sulphide mineralisation and we are very much looking forward to drilling these newly defined targets."
Trek completed a A$5.5 million capital raising during the December quarter, which will allow it to fast-track exploration in 2022.
Marshall said the raising put the company in a strong position to continue to unlock the potential of its asset base.
Trek also holds the Tambourah project, which is considered prospective for gold, and the Jimblebar project, which contains nickel-copper targets.
The company is planning field work at all three projects this year.
At the same time, Trek will review other potential opportunities in the resources sector.
It recently applied for six new mineral exploration tenements in Western Australia.
The company also retains exposure to the Kroussou zinc-lead project in Gabon, which is subject to an earn-in agreement with Apollo Minerals.
