Altair Minerals Launches Expanded Exploration Strategy at Greater Oko Gold Project

Altair Minerals (ASX: ALR) has upscaled its exploration strategy for the Greater Oko gold project in Guyana to cover 75,000 metres of combined reverse circulation and diamond drilling across greenfield and brownfield targets utilising two new reverse circulation (RC) rigs alongside an existing diamond rig.

One rig will be stationed at the South Oko prospect for 45,000m of drilling to systematically test current and new targets to 50m downhole depth.

The second will replace a rotary air blast rig at North Peters for 15,000m drilling to improve depth penetration, increase drilling efficiency, validate historic results and establish scalability of the mineralised system.

Altair has also allocated 15,000m drilling, alongside initial soil sampling and stream sediment work programs, at highly-prospective regional targets including Kmung, Mara-Mara, and East Puruni.

Greater Oko sits across 590 square kilometres of contiguous landholding, approximately 1.5km from a 5.9-million-ounce discovery expected to commence production over the next 18 months.

Drilling Campaigns Imminent

North Peters’ Phase 1 infill diamond drilling for 5,000m is scheduled for an imminent start at the north-northwest border while RC infill drilling in parallel will focus on the southeast border.

An inaugural 20,000m RC campaign at South Oko will commence next month to complement extensional soil sampling which aims to identify additional anomalous zones on the untested southern extension of the Oko Shear.

The fully funded 18-month program follows a recent $28.2 million investment by West African gold producer Endeavour Mining that boosted Altair’s pro-forma cash position to $38m.

Altair’s upscaled strategy will include an expansion of existing accommodation facilities at the South Oko and North Peters camps, as well as the construction of three additional camps to support significantly larger site teams.

The company has appointed two qualified senior geologists with previous gold exploration experience in the Oko district and supported by 20 additional field personnel, with machinery including a bulldozer, all-terrain vehicles, and a second excavator also acquired.

Increased Operational Capability

Altair chief executive officer Faheem Ahmed said the expanded program and increased operating capability at Greater Oko mark an important transition for Altair.

“Rather than commencing drilling at the earliest available opportunity, the wet season provided our team with additional time to strengthen geological interpretation, refine targeting, and enhance operational readiness,” he said.

“This disciplined approach has positioned us to commence a larger, better targeted, and more efficiently coordinated exploration campaign than originally contemplated.”

Guyana has rapidly emerged as a premier gold jurisdiction, drawing increasing attention from major players in the gold exploration space.

The significantly underexplored nation hosts an extension to West African geology, consisting of the same Birimian Greenstone that underpins world-class gold discoveries in Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso.