The Pambula Project is located within EL 6506. Pambula Central encompasses most of the old gold workings in the vicinity of Pipeclay Creek, 5.5km south west of Pambula township.
Pambula Central encompasses most of the old gold workings in the vicinity of Pipelay Creek, from where most of the gold in the Pambula gold field was produced. These old workings at Pambula Central occur across a 1km section along the crest of a north plunging anticline. Coincidentally, the rich gold shoots occur in three parallel northerly trending fracture zones which are also parallel to the anticlinal axis. The fracture zones are named the Pilot, Hidden Treasure and Diorite Fissures and are probably related to extensional structures associated with rifting, within the basement. The Pilot fracture zone was an important conduit for hydrothermal fluids and played a major role in the localisation of the narrow high grade gold shoots mined in the old workings. Good evidence of hydrothermal activity along this zone is provided by the positive identification of a hydrothermal breccia outcrop.
The Pambula Central area is bisected by an easterly trending lineament clearly visible on 1: 250 000 scale Landsat Imagery. This lineament (Pipelay Creek lineament), trends 115° and is continuously traceable for at least 15km. It is estimated to be between 200 and 300m wide. It extends from the coastline to the Faulkner gold workings. The lineament is probably related to cross-graben block faulting in basement rocks. With the exception of the very small Sugarloaf Mountain gold mine (adjacent to the Ironbark tenement), all presently known gold and pyrophyllite deposits within the Pambula goldfield occur within 2km of the Pipeclay Creek lineament.
Most of the gold production from Pambula Central came from the area where northerly trending fissure zones are intersected by the easterly trending Landsat lineament. All mines within the lineament corridor exploited structurally controlled northerly trending mineralisation. Gold reportedly occurred in chalcedonic veins, ‘kaolinised’ clay filled joints, and the matrix of brecciated rhyolites.
Recent geologic mapping along the Pilot Fissure between the Faulkner Mine and Black and Berry’s workings indicate that the Pilot Fissure is a tectonically brecciated zone up to 40m wide.
Field evidence suggests the Pilot Fissure in an en-echelon shear or sheeted vein system rather than a simple fissure as previously documented. This structure has been reactivated a number of times.
Modern exploration, targeting the source of historical gold production has been conducted by Homestake Australia Ltd and Renison Gold between 1982 and 1990. This work included aeromagnetic and ground IP surveys, rock chip and soil sampling, detailed mapping and petrology which delineated drill targets. Reverse circulation (RC) and diamond (DDH) drilling was conducted based on these targets.
Significant drill intercepts include:-
• 5m @ 7.6 g/t Au from 20m
• 2m @ 22.9 g/t Au from 45m
• 22m @ 2.2 g/t Au from 27m
• 23m @ 1.09 g/t Au from 64m
• 5m @ 7.20 g/t Au from 99m
• 2m @ 31 g/t Au from 26m
Mines include the Faulkner, Victory, Black and Berry’s and Pambula Tunnel along the Hidden Treasure Fissure. The Faulkner Mine was by far the largest gold producer, and though records are incomplete, it is estimated that this mine produced around 60% of all the gold at Pambula Central.
