Yandal Resources Ltd (ASX:YRL) has started a reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at its Ironstone-Barwidgee Project, which is 30 kilometres from the Jundee processing plant in Western Australia’s northern Yandal Belt, as it makes good on its strategy of targeting prospects with the highest gold potential.
This initial phase of drilling aims to test high-priority targets with potential to host large-scale deposits, as identified during a recent project-wide review. The program is expected to take three to four weeks to complete and will involve around 3,500 metres of drilling. Yandal expects assay results to be available in late October.
Two prospects will be tested — Oblique and New England Granite — both of which have been assessed as having large-scale discovery potential, having extensive geochemical footprints, and returning significant gold intercepts from historic drilling.
Previous drilling at Oblique highlighted strongly anomalous gold over a 1.9-kilometre-long zone and has returned numerous intercepts some of which are broad and contain higher-grade cores.
The New England Granite comprises a shallowly covered granitic intrusive measuring some 4.2 kilometres by two kilometres where historic reconnaissance-style drilling returned broad gold anomalism. Only two historical RC holes have been sunk to test the entire length of the anomalous granite margin.
Yandal managing director Tim Kennedy said, “This program follows on from a comprehensive review of the extensive target pipeline within Yandal’s project portfolio.
"Our strategy has been to identify those prospects with the highest potential, based on geological setting and geochemical footprint, to result in a discovery that can add significant value to the company. We look forward to completing the program and reporting the results as they come to hand.”
A busy end to the year
The rest of the year will be a busy one for Yandal, as it completes priority exploration activities, including the now underway RC drilling at the large scale, high-potential Oblique and New England Granite prospects at the Ironstone Well-Barwidgee project.
Yandal also plans to complete an initial mineral resource estimate for HMS Sulphur Prospect at the Mount McClure project by the year’s end.
Additionally, the company intends to follow up on priority targets that were highlighted in recent independent geological targeting studies at the Gordons and Ironstone Well-Barwidgee projects.
Lastly, Yandal is planning detailed drill targeting over the Gordon Sirdar shear zone, with interpreted extensions to be drill tested once E27/701 is granted.