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Auzex drills Kirwan tungsten deposit near Reefton
18 April 2007 - The Australian and New Zealand mineral explorer Auzex Resources says it plans to begin drilling in April its Kirwans tungsten prospect on the West Coast of the South Island.
Auzex says in its quarterly report to 31 March 2007, that encouraging rock chip/soil sampling results and geological mapping confirm the potential of the Kirwans system, located
12 km east of Reefton, to host a major tungsten deposit.
Tungsten is a hard brittle metal used for making stainless steel alloys, cemented carbides and electrical contacts.
A diamond drill rig has been sourced by Auzex and an initial six hole drilling programme is planned to begin in April to intersect the tungsten mineralisation at varying depths beneath outcropping scheelite bearing quartz veins.
Two or three holes will be drilled from each drill site in the 6600 hectare EP 40 845 permit which contains tungsten and gold mineralisation in the Kirwans Hill area.
The first two holes will be drilled beneath an area which was the subject of a significant trenching programme completed in 1983 by Gold Mines NZ Ltd. Two trenches were completed with the eastern trench returning 191 metres at an average of 0.12% W, including 32 metres @ 0.28% W (equivalent to 2.9g/t gold) and the western trench returning 160 metres at an average 0.1% W, including 28 metres at 0.24% W.
The eastern system is 300 metres wide and 600m long and the western system is 500 metres wide and 1100 metres long.
Geological mapping and soil sample results indicate both systems of north-south trending quartz stock-work, with visible scheelite, have the potential to be mineralised throughout.
Auzex says the style of scheelite mineralisation appears to be similar to the Watershed tungsten deposit in North Queensland.
Auzex NZ (Auzex Resources 100%) retains management of the exploration programme with New Zealand Minerals Ltd funding
NZ$1.7 million to earn a 50% interest in all Auzex NZ tenements. New Zealand Minerals is a private company owned by the major shareholder of IMF New Zealand Ltd, a property development company with significant investments in New Zealand.
Auzex successfully negotiated an access arrangement with the Department of Conservation to enable drilling of the Kirwans tungsten prospect.
Source: Auzex Resources.
