Saturn Metals confirms strong resource continuity at Apollo Hill with new drilling results

Saturn Metals (ASX: STN) has had further drilling success at its Apollo Hill gold project near Leonora in Western Australia.

The company said the latest high-grade, thick intercepts continue to demonstrate the robust nature of the 2.03 million-ounce mineral resource at Apollo Hill.

Saturn will add the new results to its upcoming mineral resource upgrade year and a pre-feasibility study (PFS) and maiden ore reserve it plans to release in the second half of 2025.

Future resource growth

“The high-grade and thick results returned in this latest batch of assays continue to reinforce the significant endowment of the Apollo Hill gold system, including exciting extensional results that pave the way for future resource growth at relatively shallow depths,” managing director Ian Bamborough said.

“With Saturn’s recent resource upgrade surpassing the 2Moz mark and with a backdrop of continuing high gold prices, drilling is ongoing.”

“We look forward to reporting additional rounds of assays on a regular basis over the coming months.”

Bulk mining strategy

Saturn said the thick intersections provide strong support for its bulk mining and heap leach development strategy at Apollo Hill by reinforcing continuity and localised grade opportunities across several wide lode systems.

The new results are part of the 266-hole, 50,700-metre program recently drilled at Apollo Hill.

Reverse circulation drilling continues at Apollo Hill, where Saturn is still to report 57 on holes for approximately 7,300m.

Metallurgical test work

Saturn reported metallurgical test work success earlier this month using column leach testing on near-surface oxide and transitional material from Apollo Hill.

The test work, which aimed to confirm the amenability of these material types to bulk tonnage gold mining and mineral processing using heap leach methods, has delivered excellent gold recovery results that surpassed the recovery assumptions used in Saturn’s study work to date.

Mr Bamborough said many of the world’s large-scale gold mining operations employ low-cost heap leach processing, which accounts for approximately 46% of global gold production.

“The latest results firmly support Saturn’s view that Apollo Hill has the potential to join this group.”