The 17-hole RC drilling program totalling 2954m tested a variety of targets to increase resources and improve understanding of the deposit with a focus on high-grade zones.

Notable assays included:

  • 14m grading 6.79g/t gold from a down-hole depth of 192m including 2m at 23.8g/t from 193m (FRC463);
  • 13m at 6.6g/t gold from 44m including 1m at 57.6g/t from 46m and 1m at 10.9g/t from 48m (FRC457);
  • 21m at 3.11g/t gold from 115m including 1m at 13.4g/t from 132m (FRC460); and
  • 15m at 3.7g/t gold from 123m including 1m at 16.4g/t from 124m and 1m at 21.1g/t from 135m.

Additional results included multiple broad zones of >2g/t gold, supporting the continuity of high-grade mineralisation.

Adding interest for Astral Resources (ASX:AAR), the drill program has confirmed the presence of northwest-striking high-grade gold mineralisation not currently included in the Kamperman resource model.

Kamperman currently has a resource of 2Mt at 1.3g/t, or 83,800oz of contained gold.

It has also confirmed depth extensions to the southern lode and additional high-grade mineralisation in the footwall of the southern lode.

Kamperman cross section illustrating current mineralisation interpretation, drill trace, assay results and geological interpretation. Pic: Astral Resources

Managing director Marc Ducler said the highly successful drill program achieved its aims of extending interpreted high-grade zones beyond the existing resource and demonstrated excellent potential for both grade and deposit size increases.

“The centrally located drill-hole, FRC457, returned an outstanding intercept of 13m at 6.60g/t Au, representing a very successful extension to a north-west striking high-grade ore shoot which appears to be projecting beyond the current deposit limits,” he added.

Ducler said hole FRC463 also returned a spectacular high-grade intercept to the south of current resources within a south-plunging ore zone at depth, one of the deepest zones of high-grade gold mineralisation identified to date at the project.

“Over the Christmas period, Astral received notice from the DMPE of the grant of our Mining Licence application over areas of Feysville,” he noted.

“This marks an important step as we progress towards submission of the Mining Proposal and execution of a JV agreement with Mineral Mining Services for the development of the Think Big gold mine.

“This would establish an early revenue opportunity for Astral against the backdrop of record gold prices to assist with securing overall development funding for the Mandilla gold project.”

Meanwhile, a four-hole diamond drilling program totalling 1641m to test for a potential steeply dipping sub-parallel mineralised structure has been completed on the eastern flank of the cornerstone Theia deposit within the company’s Mandilla project in WA.

This appears to have been successful with the drilling returning results such as:

  • 4.15m at 33.2g/t gold from 164.3m including 0.5m at 269.6g/t from 165m and 12.13m at 1.29g/t from 173.87m (AMRCD140); and
  • 0.3m at 30.7g/t gold from 336.26m (AMRCD139).

Quartz, pyrite and visible gold highlight the potential for Theia to host additional mineralised structures.

AAR also carried out a separate three-hole program totalling 775.6m at Theia to target the previously intersected 230 Shear structure.

This successfully intersected the distinct, narrow high-grade shear zone, returning best results such as:

  • 1.57m at 22.8g/t gold from 168.59m including 0.6m at 59.2g/t from 169.56m and 7.12m at 1.42g/t gold from 175.08m (AMRCD137); and
  • 2.27m at 4.94g/t gold from 161m including 0.47m at 22.8g/t from 161.93m and 5.33m at 1.08g/t gold from 202.85m (AMRCD138).

Ducler said the three-hole program confirmed the presence of the narrow, high-grade 230 Shear that strikes through the main Theia deposit.

“Importantly the shear, intersected in all three holes, remains mineralised at depth, with the potential to delineate additional sub-parallel repeats both within and extensional to Theia,” he added.

“A second four-hole diamond drill program tested a potential steeply dipping sub-parallel structure to the east of Theia.

“As an initial positive sign visible gold was logged in all four holes, with a best result including a very high-grade intersection of 4.15m at 33.2g/t gold from 164.3m in hole AMRCD137.”

Theia currently has a resource of 33.3Mt at 1.1g/t, or 1.2Moz of contained gold.