Astral Resources adds ounces ahead of next Mandilla resource update
Venus Metals plans to undertake drilling at its priority REE targets at Marvel Loch East.
West Australian gold explorer Astral Resources (ASX: AAR) has reported more encouraging gold grades from the Theia prospect, one of four that make up the company’s Mandilla project, 70km north of Kalgoorlie.
Astral, aided by laboratory turn-arounds of less than a week, is aiming to release its updated mineral resource estimate (MRE) early in the September quarter.
The latest reverse circulation drilling results from Theia will help.
They include 61m at 1.54 grams per tonne gold, one of several intersections from the eastern flank which is outside the area covered the most recent resource estimate.
Meanwhile, diamond drilling at depth has delivered 23.8m at 2.41g/t gold and 29m at 2.61g/t gold.
‘One of the best undeveloped gold projects’ in region
Managing Director Marc Ducler says the “exceptional” diamond drilling results continue to be delivered at depth at Theia, expanding the mineralised envelope and encouraging the company to add further drill holes to the current program.
“We expect to include the majority of the results from our 2023 drilling in the updated MRE,” he added.
“We are confident that the MRE update will further enhance Mandilla’s status as one of the best undeveloped gold projects in the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia.”
The headline results from the diamond drilling program returned 13m at 2.95g/t from 201m, 23.8m at 2.41g/t gold from 257.3m (including 0.3m at 155.35g/t) and 29m at 2.61g/t gold from 296.6m (including 0.3m at 178.4g/t and 1m at 12.92g/t).
Potential to widen pit shell
The diamond drilling results demonstrate the potential to both add resources at depth and to widen the pit shell to the west, Astral noted.
Theia, along with Iris, Eos and Hestia projects make up the Mandilla project.
At Iris, the mineralised footprint extends over about 700m, combining with Theia to form a mineralised zone of more than 2.2km.
At Eos, located to the southeast, a relatively shallow, high-grade mineralised paleochannel deposit has been delineated, while at Hestia mineralisation has been delineated over 800m of strike.
Hestia lies about 500m west of Theia.
Recent metallurgical testing at Theia has demonstrated the presence of high gravity recoverable gold, the company stated.