(MENAFN - ProactiveInvestors - Australia) Dourado Resources (ASX:DUO) has increased its measured mineral resource at its Sabbath gold project in Western Australia by 1780 ounces for a total of 12,100 ounces compared with previous estimates of 10,320 ounces.
The upgrade was estimated using wire-frames based on cross sectional interpretations using Minemap software.
The Sabbath reverse circulation survey, lithology and assay results were compiled on a cross-sectional basis using a section spacing of 10 metres in the main part of the drilling and 14-30 metre for the remainder.
A total of 330 drill holes and 12231 samples constituted the resource drilling database.
The Sabbath deposit previously had a measured mineral resource of 145,000 tonnes at 2.21 grams per tonne of gold. The lower grade cut for block estimation was 1 grams per tonne of gold and an upper cut of 10 grams per tonne was used in the resource estimation.
Preliminary pit optimisations identified 50,000 tonnes at 3.5 grams per tonne.
The current resource is estimated at 202,103 tonnes at 2.14 grams per tonne of combined resources with measured mineral resource of 175,563 tonnes at 2.14 grams per tonne of gold.
Both estimates used an upper cut of 10 grams per tonne of gold. This represents an upgrade of 30,563 tonnes and an increase of about 1780 ounces.
In addition pit optimisations were completed on the measured resource using Lerch Grossman methods on gold price variables between US1500 per ounce and 2000 per ounce.
The Sabbath mining tenement is situated in a well-defined belt or "corridor" of gold mineralisation in the Garden Gully South district north of Meekatharra.
The strike trends of historical gold workings appear to be extensive and northeast to north-north-east in orientation and is parallel to the Meekatharra Greenstone Belt.
Strike continuations of mineralisation associated with the Abernethy and Airstrip deposits identified by Doray Minerals to the southwest of Sabbath are interpreted to be present in the Dourado's Garden Gully tenements.
There are also similar parallel mineralisation trends extending southwest from Sabbath and in the North Granite Well area.
Further work is expected to highlight target areas for more detailed gold and copper exploration.
