Historic gold mining between 1880-1920 occurred over a greater than 11 km trend where total production is reported as 41,000 oz gold at a grade of 33 g/t gold. Drilling during 1990-2000s focused on shallow, previously mined surface workings, covering an area of 100 m in width, 800 m length but only to 80 m depth.  As such, the entire field remains open along strike and to depth.  

Mineralization at the Sunday Creek Project is hosted in late-Silurian to early-Devonian-aged shales and siltstones containing a series of dykes of felsic-intermediate composition. Gold is concentrated mainly in and around the EW to NE-SW trending felsic dykes, within predominately NW oriented brittle multiple sheeted veins and cataclastic zones. Individual high-grade quartz-stibnite veins at Apollo and Golden Dyke, and cataclastic zones at Gladys were the focus of historical mining at Sunday Creek. These zones have been proven to continue to depth by SXG. Broader vein-hosted and cataclastic mineralization grading less than 15 g/t gold appears untouched by the historic miners.

To 31 December 2024, a total of 168 drill holes for 72,077 m have been reported at the main Sunday Creek area along the 1,350 m strike between Christina and Apollo and regionally at the Leviathan, Tonstal and Consols prospects up to 8 km to the northeast of the main drill area. DISTINGUISH BTW MAIN N REGIONAL DRILL HOLES N METRES

Gold and antimony form in a relay of vein sets that cut across a steeply dipping zone of intensely altered rocks (the “host”). When observed from above, the host resembles the side rails of a ladder, where the sub-vertical mineralized vein sets are the rungs that extend from surface to depth. At Apollo and Rising Sun these individual ‘rungs’ have been defined over 600 m depth extent from surface to over 1,100 m below surface, are 2.5 m to 3.5 m wide (median widths) (and up to 10 m), and 20 m to 100 m in strike.

Our systematic drill program is strategically targeting these significant vein formations, initially these have been defined over 1,350m strike of the host from Christina to Apollo prospects, of which approximately 620 m has been more intensively drill tested (Rising Sun to Apollo). At least 67 ‘rungs’ have been discovered to date, defined by high-grade intercepts up to 7,330 g/t Au along with lower grade edges. Ongoing step-out drilling is aiming to uncover the potential extent of this mineralized system.

Sunday Creek – Additional exploration work

In October 2023, predecessor Southern Cross Gold Ltd ("SXG") released the results of first ever drill campaign at the Leviathan, Consols and Tonstal historic mining areas, located 5.0 km, 6.9 km and 7.9 km along strike respectively from the most westerly end of main project area with 12 diamond drill holes for 2,367m. 

Mineralization at each location is the style same as the Sunday Creek main zone with disseminated arsenopyrite and pyrite mineralization in NW-oriented veins that cut across a steeply dipping zone of intensely bleached, sericite albitic siltstones, and sericite-carbonate-albite altered dyke rocks (the “host”).

Results included 0.5 m @ 15.7 g/t Au from 87.0 m in SDDLV003 and 0.3 m @ 19.4 g/t Au from 100.7 m in SDLV004.

The results suggest further high grades at depth remain to be found and SXG will return to its regional exploration program in the future.

Sunday Creek regional plan view showing soil sampling, structural framework, regional historic epizonal gold mining areas and broad regional areas tested by 12 holes for 2,383 m drill program. The regional drill areas are at Tonstal, Consols and Leviathan located 4,000 m to 7,500 m along strike from the main drill area at Golden Dyke- Apollo.

exploration target

In January 2024 SXG released an Exploration Target to demonstrate the scale and high-grade gold-antimony potential of the Sunday Creek Project as a first step in the pathway to a resource. SXGC plans to update the Exploration Target during Q1 2025 to take into account the last year of drill results.

The Exploration Target for the Sunday Creek project covers only 620 m or about 50% of the known strike of the main drill area and encompasses the Rising Sun and Apollo areas. This target area represents <10% of the 11km strike of the dyke host across the project.

The estimated range of potential mineralization for the Exploration Target is:

4.4 - 5.1 million tonnes grading at 7.2g/t AuEq to 9.7g/t AuEq for 1.0Moz AuEq to 1.6Moz AuEq

The potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Target is conceptual in nature and therefore is an approximation. There has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource. The Exploration Target has been prepared and reported in accordance with the 2012 edition of the JORC Code.

Sunday Creek Exploration Target for Apollo and Rising Sun

The Exploration Target is the first early opportunity to demonstrate the scale and high-grade potential as suggested by the successful drilling program undertaken at Sunday Creek. It was constrained to the drill footprint at Apollo and Rising Sun as they contained sufficient drilling to determine continuity and infer grade ranges. It represents approximately half the strike of the main drill area and significant potential exists to increase the size of the exploration target with high grade drill results beyond the Exploration Target area.

Click here for a detailed description of the Exploration Target

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grade continuity

In January 2024, SXG released a geological update with an outline of vein morphology and continuity. It was released to describe vein morphology and geological and vein continuity to provide geological context for the above Exploration Target.

The update demonstrated continuity of vein sets and grades in three dimensions across multiple datasets including:

• Structural oriented drill core data, quality control data and geostatistics that demonstrate a low coefficient of variation;
• Geological likeness;
• Predictability of extension drilling.
• Fifty years of historic mining records and drilled continuity below mined areas.

As of 31 December 2024, a total of 67 mineralized vein set shapes have been created for Sunday Creek. Gold and antimony form in a relay of vein sets that cut across a steeply dipping zone of intensely altered rocks (the “host”). These vein sets are like a “Golden Ladder” structure where the main host extends between the side rails deep into the earth, with multiple cross-cutting vein sets that host the gold forming the rungs.  At Apollo and Rising Sun these individual ‘rungs’ have been defined over 600 m depth extent from surface to over 1,100 m below surface, are 2.5 m to 3.5 m wide (median widths) (and up to 10 m), and 20 m to 100 m in strike.

Coefficient of variation

The coefficient of variation (“CV”) is the ratio of the standard deviation to the average of the assay results. The lower the CV, the less erratic the distribution of the mineralization is, and therefore it is more predictable to model. Ideally a CV of less than 2 is good for gold mineralization.

At Apollo, where sufficient drill density and drill spacing is present, geostatistical assessment provides validity of the geological shapes. Within Apollo, the average of all the vein sets is a CV of 1.8 for raw assays and 2.7 for Rising Sun. As we collect more data, the CV typically falls.

Metallurgy

In January 2024, SXG released the results of its successful initial metallurgical test program conducted on two drill holes from Sunday Creek.

The initial program was successful in outlining a robust flow sheet for Sunday Creek. The proposed flow sheet consists of gravity separation of gold, followed by bulk or sequential flotation of gold and sulphides, that resulted in high recoveries of both gold and antimony into products that are anticipated to be readily saleable, with high returns for both gold and antimony values. The test work also highlighted the nonrefractory nature of native gold at Sunday Creek.

Recovery by gravity separation and flotation resulted in high recoveries of antimony and gold into two separate gold-sulphide concentrates that are anticipated to be readily saleable, with high returns for both gold and antimony values.

• Gravity and bulk flotation resulted in 93.3% -97.6% recovery of gold.
•  A hypothetical processing route was assessed for flotation only (no gravity concentrate) as part of sample preparation for mineralogical assessment. Analysis of results from sequential rougher flotation and separate cleaning of concentrates resulted in calculated estimates of 88.9%- 95.0% recovery of gold across two products:
  • An antimony concentrate, grading 32% - 52% Sb (87.1% - 93.8% recovery), 81.4 g/t - 313.6 g/t Au (40% of feed gold) with low to moderate arsenic contents (0.4% and 2.58%). It was estimated that 96% - 98%of the contained gold was native gold and;
  • A sulphide concentrate containing 65.7 g/t - 159.0 g/t Au (49% - 55% of feed gold) with higher arsenic contents (5.7% and 12.1%). Critically 79% - 82% of the contained gold was native gold indicating the opportunity for ease of gold separation.

•  Work highlighted the non-refractory nature of native gold at Sunday Creek:
  • Mineralogical investigations demonstrated a high proportion of native gold (82% - 84%).
  • Gravity recoveries from 18% - 33% achieved with concentrates containing 89% - 96% native gold.
  • Cyanide-solubility of gold at a moderate grind size (80% passing 106 µm) was high (68% - 75%), reflecting that the sulphide minerals (pyrite, stibnite and arsenopyrite) contain relatively low gold concentrations.

Freehold land acquisition

In May 2022, SXG completed the acquisition of 132 ha of freehold land that forms the key portion in and around the drilled area at Sunday Creek.  It subsequently purchased a further 0.65 ha in July 2023 that is located adjacent to both the main access and existing freehold ownership at the project.  

In December 2024, SXG completed a further deal to acquire an additional 1,054.5 ha of freehold land that directly surrounds the Sunday Creek project that is critical for securing future pathways for the project through securing future surface access and locating critical mine development infrastructure in an unpopulated zone to the south of the main drill area.

We may consider in the future other uses for the freehold land, such as renewable energy options, livestock grazing or agistment to help maintain the property although there are no current plans for such additional uses.  

To find out the latest details of our latest activities at Sunday Creek please refer to our announcements and presentations.

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Technical reports

Review the current technical reports here:

JORC Technical Report Sunday Creek Gold - 11 Dec 2024

NI-43-101 Technical Report Sunday Creek Gold - 25 Sept 2024

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