Abbotts North Sampling Yields Gold Grades up to 6.7g/t
Premier1 Lithium Limited’s initial sampling at the Abbotts North Project reveals multiple high-grade gold assays, highlighting promising exploration potential in a historically underexplored region.
- First-pass rock chip sampling returns up to 6.7g/t gold
- Gold mineralisation identified across multiple prospects including Sprigg Bore and Abbotts West
- New prospect area discovered with significant gold grades
- Project lies within the structurally complex Abbotts Greenstone Belt
- Further geological mapping and exploration planned to define mineralisation extent
Exploration Breakthrough at Abbotts North
Premier1 Lithium Limited (ASX: PLC) has announced encouraging results from its maiden gold sampling program at the Abbotts North Project, situated in Western Australia’s Murchison region. The initial rock chip assays have returned multiple high-grade gold values, including a standout 6.7 grams per tonne (g/t) gold sample from a previously unexplored prospect area. This early success underscores the project’s potential to evolve into a significant gold asset alongside Premier1’s existing portfolio.
Geological Context and Historical Significance
The Abbotts North Project is located within the Abbotts Greenstone Belt, a structurally complex and historically gold-rich region. The belt hosts the nearby Crown Prince deposit, owned by New Murchison Gold Limited, which contains a reported mineral resource of 2.2 million tonnes at 3.9 g/t gold, equating to approximately 279,000 ounces. Premier1’s sampling results, particularly from the Sprigg Bore area, align with the structural trends associated with this deposit, suggesting continuity of gold mineralisation along these northeast-trending shear zones.
Highlights from the Sampling Program
The program collected 112 rock chip samples across multiple prospects, including Sprigg Bore, Abbotts West, and a new prospect roughly 3 kilometres east of the historic Abbotts/Vranizan mining centre. Notable assay results include 6.7 g/t Au at the new prospect, 1.9 g/t Au at Sprigg Bore, and a cluster of samples ranging from 0.7 to 4.4 g/t Au at Abbotts West. These results are significant given the early-stage nature of exploration and the limited outcrop due to lateritic cover, which has historically hindered detailed investigation.
Strategic Implications and Next Steps
Managing Director Jason Froud emphasised the importance of these findings, noting the similarity in geological setting to the Crown Prince deposit and the potential for Abbotts North to become a second gold project for Premier1. The company plans to undertake more detailed geological mapping, additional sampling, and geophysical surveys to better understand the extent and controls of mineralisation. Given the sparse historical exploration within the project tenements, these results open a new frontier for gold exploration in the Murchison Domain.
Broader Market Context
Premier1’s move into gold exploration complements its lithium focus and leverages Western Australia’s reputation as a premier mining jurisdiction. The Abbotts North Project’s proximity to existing infrastructure and established mining centres enhances its attractiveness. While still early days, the high-grade assays provide a compelling reason for investors and analysts to monitor the company’s progress closely as it advances its exploration strategy.
Bottom Line?
Premier1 Lithium’s Abbotts North results mark a promising start, but the true scale of gold mineralisation remains to be defined.
Questions in the middle?
- What is the potential size and continuity of the gold mineralisation at the new prospect area?
- How will Premier1 prioritise exploration efforts between gold and lithium projects?
- What timeline and budget has Premier1 allocated for follow-up drilling and geophysical surveys?
