Astral Resources (ASX:AAR) has reported assay results from 56 holes totalling 4,970m as part of its ongoing infill drilling program at the Theia deposit within the Mandilla Gold Project in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
Results from the program include 31m @ 3.03 grams per tonne gold (Au) from 12m, including 1m @ 59.8g/t Au from 32m, and 19m @ 2.7g/t Au from 41m, including 1m @ 36.2g/t Au from 50m.
Managing Director Marc Ducler says the results demonstrate consistency of gold mineralisation within the stage one pit and support the planned conversion to measured mineral resource category.
“These results continue to […] provide further confidence in both our geological model and the planned conversion of this inventory to the measured mineral resource category,” Ducler says.
“Drilling has continued to delineate broad intercepts of gold mineralisation containing very high-grade shoots within the coherent zones of quartz-sulphide veining.”
The three-phase reverse circulation infill program aims to reduce drill spacing to 12.5m by 12.5m, supporting declaration of measured resources across the entire stage one mining inventory.
The upgrade underpins the first 16 months of planned mill feed.
Other ‘significant’ intercepts include 21m @ 2.01g/t Au from 74m, including 1m @ 14.6g/t Au from 90m; and 20m @ 2.02g/t Au from 71m, including 1m at 22.6g/t gold from 89m.
The company also reported 11m @ 3.93g/t Au from 106m, including 1m @ 34.3g/t Au from 114m.
Theia hosts a mineral resource estimate of 41 million tonnes @ 1.1g/t Au for 1.4 million ounces.
In the Mandilla Prefeasibility Study production case, Theia contributes 1.1Moz or approximately 75% of the 1.48Moz total. The stage one open pit encompasses 4.2Mt at 1.1g/t Au for 146,000 ounces over the first 21 months with a 4:1 strip ratio.
AAR has completed 151 holes for 15,131m of the planned 431-hole program totalling 44,400m. Infill drilling continues through 2026, with a diamond program ongoing and assay results pending for five holes totalling 2,614m.
The company is progressing a Definitive Feasibility Study for Mandilla, forecast to be completed in the March quarter 2027.
Astral Resources is pursuing an early mining opportunity at the Think Big deposit at Feysville.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Images: Astral Resources
