Astral Resources NL (ASX:AAR) has demonstrated further growth potential at the Mandilla Gold Project near Kalgoorlie in WA upon intersecting high-grade gold hits of up to 28.0 g/t in an aircore drilling program.
Assays reveal the potential to continue extending the Eos palaeochannel deposit to the southeast, highlighting the opportunity to grow the existing shallow 41,000-ounce mineral resource with further drilling.
Astral’s limited aircore drill program comprised 33 drill holes across 2,132 metres at Eos at the southern end of Mandilla and results include:
- 8 metres at 9.58 g/t gold from 49 metres including 3 metres at 18.93 g/t from 49 metres, which included a high-grade 1-metre interval of 28.02 g/t, and 1 metre at 12.1 g/t from 54 metres;
- 10 metres at 5.05 g/t from 45 metres, including 3 metres at 11.81 g/t from 49 metres; and
- 4 metres at 4.55 g/t from 46 metres.
"Some of highest grade assays so far"
Astral managing director Marc Ducler said: “Despite the modest scale of the aircore program it has delivered exceptional high-grade assay results from drilling designed to test the south-eastern extent of the Eos palaeochannel, which already hosts a mineral resource estimate of 800,000 tonnes at 1.6 g/t gold for 41,000 ounces of contained gold.
“The drilling has not only confirmed that the palaeochannel remains open to the southeast but it has also returned some of the highest grade assays obtained at Eos so far.
“MDAC613 returned the best result to date at Eos with 8 metres at 9.58 g/t gold from 49 metres. This includes a very high-grade component of 3 metres at 18.93 g/t gold from 49 metres.
“When combined with the results from MDAC623 – 10 metres at 5.05 g/t gold from 45 metres, including 3 metres at 11.81 g/t gold from 49 metres, and MDAC276 – 6 metres at 7.41 g/t gold from 49 metres, including 3 metres at 10.86 g/t gold from 49 metres, these results define a high-grade central channel which extends for over 90 metres and remains open to the southeast.
“This is a very pleasing result which clearly demonstrates the potential for further resource growth at Mandilla.”
Mandilla and Feysville Gold Projects location map.
Updates from other prospects
Astral has recently completed a reverse circulation (RC) program at the Feysville Project near Kalgoorlie, with assays pending.
At Mandilla, the company has an infill RC drilling program underway southeast of the Theia deposit and a diamond drilling program is expected to kick off at Theia in September 2023.
Furthermore, a structural review of the Theia deposit is expected to be completed in September 2023.
Ducler adds: “RC drilling re-commenced in early August, with a program recently completed at Feysville and an infill program at Theia, Mandilla, currently underway.
“Diamond drilling is expected to resume at Theia in mid-September.
“The scoping study is well advanced with only limited workstreams and report compilation still outstanding. We are looking forward to delivering the scoping study to the market later this quarter.”
Forward plan
Following completion of the RC drill program, a diamond rig will be mobilised to Mandilla to continue testing the central portion of the Theia deposit with the objective of extending the known extent of mineralisation both on the flanks and at depth.
An aircore rig will also be mobilised in the December quarter to complete the regional program to the southeast of Eos.
A structural review of previously drilled diamond core at Theia remains on track for completion in the September quarter.
The scoping study remains on track to be reported later this quarter.
Read more on Proactive Investors AU
