- 01Iltani extends Orient West continuity
- 02Infill RC drilling tightens grade/width
- 03110-hole RC program; MRE by Q4 2026; Scoping early 2027
Iltani Resources (ASX: ILT) has returned high-grade silver-indium-zinc results from 16 reverse circulation holes at Orient West in north Queensland, reinforcing grade and width continuity across the project.
Standout results included 10 metres at 308 grams per tonne silver equivalent from 66m, including 3m at 974g/t and 1m at 1,932g/t, while another hole returned 19m at 343g/t from 114m, including 8m at 764g/t and 2m at 2,561g/t, with all reported widths stated as downhole.
The latest infill and step-out holes were designed to tighten coverage across the southwestern part of Orient West, with drilling completing 50m-spaced sections and approximately 50m-spaced intersections down dip.
Iltani is nearing completion of its initial Orient drilling program, with the resulting data set to support an updated Mineral Resource in the fourth quarter of 2026 and a Scoping Study targeted for early 2027.
The company considers the high-grade massive sulphide zones prospective for both open-pit development and deeper definition drilling, with some intersections potentially relevant to a future underground resource if they fall below an eventual pit design.
Continuity Across Project
The reported holes cover infill traverses through the southwestern area of the previous Mineral Resource Estimate, where results continued to fit the geological model and demonstrate continuity of the main veins along strike and down dip.
Although broader mineralised zones thin towards the southwest, Iltani reported that high-grade massive sulphide mineralisation persists, with most holes returning more than 1,000 silver-equivalent grade metres.
“Importantly, infill and step-out drilling is consistently confirming grade and width continuity down dip and along strike,” managing director Donald Garner said.
“This reinforces our view that there is clear potential to both upgrade and extend the current Orient West MRE as we incorporate the remaining assay results.”
Two holes targeting beneath historical workings were abandoned after intersecting old workings, but both still cut shallow high-grade mineralisation that Iltani considers relevant to a future pit outline.
110-Hole RC Program
The current Orient resource totals 62.5 million tonnes at 81.5g/t silver equivalent, comprising 38.8Mt in the Indicated category and 23.7Mt in the Inferred category.
Iltani’s track-mounted RC rig is drilling the 99th hole of the planned 110-hole program, with completion expected within two weeks and assay samples being submitted every three to four days.
Assay turnaround is currently about one to two months, after which the full data set will be used to update the Orient MRE, with completion targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026.
The updated resource is intended to provide greater confidence for the Orient Scoping Study and later feasibility work on an open-pittable resource, while further drilling may be added based on assay results and to follow mineralisation outside the current resource areas before the wet season.
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