Astral Resources NL (ASX:AAR) has intersected more high-grade gold in infill drilling at the Theia deposit of the flagship Mandilla Project in Western Australia, including results of 32 metres at 1.74 g/t gold and 1 metre at 35.35g/t gold.
The reverse circulation (RC) program was conducted over 5,531 metres across 37 holes, targeting infill data to support a mineral resource estimate update for the deposit (released in July), extensional data on the eastern flank, and drill collars for deeper diamond drilling (DD).
Read: Astral Resources boosts Mandilla gold resource 22% to 1.265 million ounces with Theia deposit update
High potential profitability
“Following the release of the July 2023 MRE update and the September 2023 Mandilla scoping study, the exploration team has been busy with several drill programs across both Mandilla and Feysville,” Astral Resources managing director Marc Ducler said.
“These latest RC infill drill results further demonstrate our ability to continually grow the resource base at Theia – which is already a significant deposit in terms of its scale – and, as demonstrated by the scoping study, a very significant deposit in terms of its potential profitability.
“Aircore and RC drill programs have also been completed at Eos as well as a 1,832-metre diamond drill (DD) program at Theia.
“Assay results for Eos are expected to be reported in the coming weeks, while the DD assay results are expected later in the December quarter.
“A three-hole DD program at Kamperman has recently commenced to better understand the stratigraphy and target extensions to the high-grade gold mineralisation intersected in the recently completed RC drilling.”
Drilling on the eastern flank of the deposit also succeeded in joining two zones of high-grade mineralisation previously identified over a 320-metre strike with results of 50 metres at 1.18 g/t gold and 6 metres at 2.61 g/t gold.
Full assay results
- 4 metres at 19.58 g/t gold from 70 metres;
- 32 metres at 1.74 g/t from 120 metres and 31 metres at 0.93 g/t from 185 metres to bottom-of-hole;
- 50 metres at 1.18 g/t from 73 metres and 7 metres at 1.06 g/t from 163 metres;
- 1 metre at 35.35 g/t from 115 metres;
- 28 metres at 1.36 g/t from 122 metres;
- 50 metres at 0.95 g/t from 73 metres;
- 9 metres at 1.71 g/t from 111 metres, 9 metres at 1.05 g/t from 95 metres, 5 metres at 1.05 g/t from 82 metres and 2 metres at 2.45 g/t from 65 metres;
- 6 metres at 2.61 g/t from 59 metres and 48 metres at 0.44 g/t from 117 metres;
- 14 metres at 1.19 g/t from 42 metres;
- 4 metres at 1.88 g/t from 139 metres; and
- 1 metre at 5.14 g/t from 113 metres.
With diamond drilling complete at Mandilla, Astral is now mobilising the rig to the Feysville Project for a 3-hole, 450-metre program targeting high-grade mineralisation at the Kamperman prospect.