Iltani Resources (ASX: ILT) has continued its focus on exploration and development activities at the Orient silver-indium project within the Herberton mineral field in northern Queensland during the three months to end March.
Site activities were paused due to annual wet conditions, with the region receiving 626 millimetres of rainfall during the reporting period.
Access to the site was re-opened in March to enable preparation for the 2026 season.
The company is planning to significantly ramp-up drilling activities at Orient and start drill-testing key targets within the Herberton field including Boonmoo, Union Jack, Isabel, and Isabel Extended.
Orient Drilling Results
During the period, Iltani reported assays for the final 10 reverse circulation drill holes of a VTEM (versatile time-domain electromagnetic) campaign at Orient completed in December.
The holes, which were drilled in the Link Zone between the Orient West and East Mineral deposits, demonstrated potential to link the two resources.
Best results of 10 metres at 111.7 grams per tonne silver, 44.1g/t indium, 2.2% lead and 2.1% zinc from 104m included intercepts of 5m at 200.4g/t silver, 85.4g/t indium, 3.8% lead and 3.6% zinc from 107m, as well as 1m at 437.2g/t silver, 265.2g/t indium, 8.1% lead and 10.4% zinc from 110m.
Located approximately 120km southwest of Cairns in Northern Queensland, Orient—Australia’s largest known silver-indium deposit—is part of Iltani’s larger Herberton project, where Iltani holds approximately 370 square kilometres of wholly owned tenements.
Orient has a current mineral resource estimate of 62.5 million tonnes at 81.5g/t silver equivalent (AgEq), with a higher-grade estimate of 34.2Mt at 110g/t AgEq at 30g/t and 60g/t AgEq cut-off grades, respectively.
Further Work Planned
Iltani is planning another drilling campaign at Orient this month, comprising 115 reverse circulation holes across 16,000m.
The work will seek to infill the Orient East and Orient West resources to better define mineralisation geometry and upgrade resource categories, extend it along strike to increase the current resource, and further define mineralisation in the Link Zone.
The company will also test other prospects including Orient North and Vein 1 to determine geometry, width, grade and economic potential, and complete drill testing of VTEM targets impacted by the wet season.
As part of the program, Iltani will seek to continue to convert the Exploration Target to Mineral Resources.
The Exploration Target for Orient West and Orient East has increased to between 35.9Mt and 43.3Mt at between 63.6g/t and 78.1g/t AgEq with a 30g/t cut-off grade.
This includes a higher-grade component of between 15.4Mt and 18.8Mt at between 95g/t and 117g/t AgEq with a 60g/t cut-off grade.
