Symes Gold Mine

Location and Access
The Symes’ Find prospect is located 60km south of the township of Moorine Rock, within the Holleton Greenstone belt in the Southern Cross Province of the Eastern Goldfields.  Symes’ Find appears to occupy the axial plane of a south-east plunging synform.  The intersection of axial planar faults and the shallow east dipping mafic amphibolite host rock defines a series of higher grade mineralised shoots that plunge shallowly to the southeast.

Symes open pits looking north

Mining
Open pit mining is currently underway at Symes, with ore haulage proceeding at forecast levels (see December 2023 Quarterly Activities Report). The shallow satellite pits were completed during the December 2023 Quarter and consequently a significant ore stockpile has been built. Going forward, mining will focus on the deeper main pit.

Background
Ramelius’ drilling to date has defined two moderately south-east plunging shoots of supergene and hypogene gold mineralisation associated with quartz veinlets within the host rock.  The quartz veins (less than 10cm thick) appear boudinaged and re-folded throughout.  A swarm of pegmatite sills has intruded the amphibolites and lie conformable with the dip and strike of the mineralisation defined to date.  Drilling has also confirmed lateral extensions to the previously mined surface laterite gold mineralisation (between 1- 4m thick) which pervades throughout the granted Symes’ mining lease.

Mineralisation
Recent RC drilling results include 5m at 7.26g/t Au from 12m, 14m at 5.26 g/t Au from 7m, 3m at 2.44g/t Au from 8m, and 6m at 1.07 g/t Au from 9m. Highlights of higher grade results reported in the RMS ASX Release, “Development Projects and Exploration Update” include: 5m at 13.3g/t Au from 22m, 9m at 3.37g/t Au from 28m, 11m at 5.96g/t Au from 8m, and 7m at 7.26g/t Au from 9m.

An updated Mineral Resource estimate for Symes Find (Edna May) comprising 1.4Mt at 1.7g/t Au (75koz) was reported 14 November 2022 (RMS ASX Release ‘3 Year Production Outlook & Study Updates). The updated estimate includes additions from recently acquired tenure, and extensions from resource definition drilling at depth and in shallow adjacent near-surface laterite extensions. Positive scoping study results (same RMS ASX release) indicate a mining inventory of 500-600kt at 1.8-2.2g/t Au for 32-40koz.  Additional mining lease applications and statutory approvals are in progress.

Symes Find cross section