Astral Resources continues to unearth gold at Mandilla with latest drilling results
Astral Resources (ASX: AAR) has further highlighted the potential of its Mandilla gold project in Western Australia with another impressive collection of assay results.
The new drilling success at Mandilla backs up the promise highlighted by a July 2023 updated mineral resource estimate (MRE) which identified the project contains 37 million tonnes at 1.1 grams per tonne gold for 1.27 million ounces of contained gold.
In September 2023, Astral also revealed robust scoping study results which confirmed the viability of a standalone Mandilla project comprising 3 open pit mines feeding a 2.5 million tonnes per annum processing facility producing 80 to 100,000 ounces of gold per year.
Continued run of success
Astral Resources’ managing director Marc Ducler said the latest results continue to highlight the golden bounty and exploration upside at Mandilla.
“Following the release of the July 2023 MRE update and the September 2023 Mandilla scoping study, the exploration team has been busy with several drill programs across both Mandilla and Feysville,” Mr Ducler said.
“These latest RC infill drill results further demonstrate our ability to continually grow the resource base at Theia – which is already a significant deposit in terms of its scale – and, as demonstrated by the scoping study, a very significant deposit in terms of its potential profitability.”
“Air-core and RC drill programs have also been completed at Eos as well as an 1,832 metre DD program at Theia.”
Multi deposit project
Located just 70km from Kalgoorlie, the Mandilla project includes the Theia, Iris, Eos and Hestia deposits.
With a number of impressive intersections, including 32 metres at 1.74 grams per tonne gold from 120 metres from the latest infill RC drilling at the Theia area of the project, Astral continues to expand the eastern flank of Mandilla.
The company has also highlighted additional upside on the eastern flank with positive results obtained from a line of infill drilling aimed to join two zones of high-grade mineralisation previously delineated over 320 metres of strike.
Results returned included 50 metres at 1.18 grams per tonne gold and 6 metres at 2.61 grams per tonne gold across two RC holes which successfully extended mineralisation between the known zones.
Further assay results coming
Astral is now looking forward to adding to the positives achieved to date from its Mandilla drilling campaign with further assay results imminent and a new program underway.
“Assay results for Eos are expected to be reported in the coming weeks, while the diamond drilling assay results are expected later in the December quarter,” Mr Ducler said.
“A three-hole DD program at Kamperman has recently commenced to better understand the stratigraphy and target extensions to the high-grade gold mineralisation intersected in the recently completed RC drilling.”
Metallurgical testing undertaken on the Theia deposit has already demonstrated high gravity recoverable gold, fast leach kinetics and exceptional overall gold recoveries with low reagent consumptions and coarse grinding.
Development of the project benefits from its proximity to significant infrastructure and mining expertise and the fact Mandilla is covered by existing mining leases which are not subject to any third-party royalties other than the standard WA government gold royalty.