Junior explorer Surefire Resources (ASX: SRN) has closed out a reverse circulation drilling campaign at its wholly-owned Yidby gold project in Western Australia.
The program comprised 25 holes for a total 3,381 metres, drilled to various depths up to 288m.
The work was aimed at extensions to existing gold intercepts and testing targets generated from a structural interpretation of geophysical data performed by mining consultant CSA Global.
Intersections of quartz-porphyry were noted in all drill holes, with visible sulphides and visible gold in some places.
A total of 845 composite samples were submitted for gold analysis and assay to Nagrom Laboratories in Perth.
Column leach test work has also been initiated, following metallurgy sighter test work in November which produced strong results including 92% gold extraction, 43.2% to 67% gravity gold recovery, and 97.6% to 99.5% recovery with no undesirable or refractory mineralisation.
Large mineralised system
The Yidby project is emerging as a large mineralised system across 114 square kilometres of the southern Yalgoo-Singleton greenstone belt.
The region hosts a number of sizeable gold deposits including Minjar (1.1 million ounces), Kirkalocka (1Moz), Mount Gibson (2.75Moz) and Rothsay (540,000oz).
Several companies have drilled on and around the project over the years.
These include former mining major WMC Resources in 1982 and 1994, as well as Capricorn Resources, Normandy Gold and WCP Resources (now known as Piedmont Lithium, ASX: PLL).
Yidby acquisition
Surefire acquired the Yidby tenements in 2020 and has systematically explored the area using geochemistry and geophysics to define drill targets which led to the discovery of a gold system beneath transported overburden.
Mineralisation intersected to date is reported to be extensive, covering more than 3 kilometres in a northwest-southeast trending strike length.
Gold intercepts have been encountered at the Yidby, Fender and Marshall targets, displaying quartz-porphyry within an assemblage of mafic and ultra-mafic rocks.
The composition is believed to be similar to the 2.75Moz Mt Gibson gold mine, located 30km to the south.
