Results of up to 11m at 7.88g/t Au from 99m were returned at the Central Zone of the project and within this was 2m at 41.25g/t from 100m.

Ausgold (ASX:AUC) also encountered wide zones of mineralisation in areas under the inferred JORC resource category, outside the current pit design and reserves.

Those zones produced results showing 20m at 1.41g/t Au from 192m, including 3m at 2.94g/t from 192m and 6m at 2.34g/t from 203m.

AUC executive chair John Dorward said the extensive ongoing drilling campaign continued to deliver exceptional results across multiple fronts.

“The consistency of high-grade results from both in-fill and extensional drilling continues to strengthen the Katanning growth story,” Dorward said.

“With extensions of the mineralisation confirmed beneath the DFS Update pits and outside current reserves, we see a clear opportunity to grow the production base and extend mine life, while simultaneously optimising the early years of production.

“With regional drilling at Nanicup Bridge now complete, we are looking forward to reporting results from this exciting satellite project along with the balance of results from the KGP.”

Apart from drilling at the Central Zone, AUC is also completing infill drilling at the Jinkas and White Dam lodes, as well as along the White Dam-Jackson trends and at the satellite Nanicup Bridge prospect.

Broad, high-grade results at Jinkas and White Dam have increased Ausgold’s confidence in the grade continuity for its initial mine plan. These included:

  • 12m at 5.55g/t Au from 37m including 9m at 7.26g/t from 39m;
  • 15m at 1.98g/t Au from 16m including 9m at 3.06g/t from 21m, and;
  • 4m at 6.37g/t Au from 37m including 3m at 8.34g/t from 37m.

Extensional drilling beneath the current resource estimate at the White Dam-Jackson trend also intersected gold mineralisation, reinforcing the down-plunge potential of the trend:

  • 9m at 2.64g/t Au from 165m; and
  • 2m at 1.51g/t Au from 200m including 2m at 5.39g/t from 200m

Ausgold has polished off 46,717m of drilling in its 54,000m program so far and is awaiting assays for 15,349m.

The company recently wrapped up regional drilling at the Nanicup Bridge prospect, the results from which will underpin a maiden resource estimate.

Looking ahead, Ausgold intends to resume drilling at Jinkas, complete drilling at Jackson and White Dam, and begin drill testing early-stage regional targets at the Moulyinning and Kulin prospects in late April.