- 01MRE up 131% to 2.62 Mt at 1.50 g/t for 126k oz
- 02Indicated 1.87 Mt @1.43 g/t for 86k oz (+180% uplift)
- 033 rigs on site; 100-hole program approved
Forrestania Resources (ASX: FRS) has announced a 131% increase to the mineral resource estimate (MRE) at the historical British Hill deposit within its Forrestania Hub in Western Australia.
The new estimate sits at 2.62 million tonnes grading 1.50 grams per tonne gold for 126,290 ounces at a 0.5 g/t cut-off, including an Indicated 1.87Mt at 1.43g/t gold for 86,080oz—a 180% uplift from the previous resource estimate.
322 reverse circulation and diamond holes plus historical drilling data that predates Forrestania’s involvement at British Hill supported the upgrade.
The company has drilled 19 holes at the deposit this year for a total of 4,765 metres, with a follow-up 100-hole campaign approved using three rigs focused on resource development drilling.
British Hill Geology
The Forrestania Hub sits within the Forrestania Greenstone Belt which is a southern extension of the 400-kilometre-long Southern Cross Greenstone Belt and host to the historic Bounty gold mine.
Key structural controls include the D2–D3 shear zones that trend north-northwest through the belt, concentrating gold in shear parallel quartz lode systems at British Hill.
British Hill is located approximately 60km south-southeast of Marvel Loch, a longstanding gold prospect in the Southern Goldfields with a history of development by previous operator IMD Gold.
The deposit’s mineralisation is hosted by “sulphide facies” banded iron formation that has been subject to a high-grade metamorphosis with mineral assemblages including magnetite and grunerite.
Gold occurs within late-stage breccia zones at the metre to decimetre scale, with abundant centimetre-scale veins of mainly pyrrhotite and quartz.
Key Portfolio Asset
Chair David Geraghty said the company was pleased to deliver a doubling of the previous MRE and a material increase to the Indicated category.
“The combination of resource growth, ongoing drilling success and excellent regional infrastructure positions British Hill as a key asset within our broader Forrestania gold strategy,” he said.
“With three reverse circulation rigs on site and drilling continuing, we believe there is significant opportunity to further expand the resource base and enhance project economics as we progress technical studies and evaluate future development pathways.”
In addition to the 100-hole drill program, Forrestania also has metallurgical test work and conceptual mining studies planned for the site.
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