Golden Horse Minerals (ASX:GHM) is planning more drilling at the Hopes Hill South prospect in 2027 after drill hole 26HHDD035 returned 34.9m at 2.30 grams per tonne gold (Au) from 398.7m.
The company says this diamond drill hole delivered the deepest gold intersection at Hopes Hill South to date, extending more than 300m vertically from surface. It includes 5.10m @ 10.35g/t Au from 428.5m and 14.30m @ 1.63g/t Au from 398.7m.
The result is significant because historical drilling south of Hopes Hill has been shallow, leaving an untested drill gap of more than 2.8km at depth.
Golden Horse notes that hole 26HHDD035 is about 80m south of hole 26HHRCD168, which returned 18m @ 2.66g/t Au from 307m, including 7m @ 5.24g/t Au from 316m. The new intersection is also about 150m below an earlier reverse circulation (RC) drill hole that returned 27m @ 1.4g/t Au from 179m.
The company says the results from hole 26HHDD035 reflect the upside and exploration potential within the southern Hopes Hill corridor.
Managing Director Nicholas Anderson says the growth potential at Hopes Hill is ‘significant’.
“These intercepts prove that this thoroughbred has plenty of run left in the tank,” Anderson points out.
“Excitingly, with 26HHDD035 and 26HHRCD168 being located approximately 80m apart […] it is clear that the lode geometry is particularly attractive with this area being a key focus of our exploration efforts at Hopes Hill South.
“Importantly, mineralisation remains open at depth, providing further opportunities to expand the mineralised footprint as we progress our resource modelling activities.”
Hopes Hill South is found within the company’s flagship Hopes Hill Gold Project, which forms part of the larger Southern Cross Project in Western Australia. The 216,000-ounce Hopes Hill deposit features a surface mineralised trend exceeding 4km.
Previous RC and diamond drilling across the broader Hopes Hill area has returned several notable intersections. Notable intercepts yielded 18m @ 2.7g/t Au from 307m, including 7m @ 5.2g/t Au from 316m; 10m @ 3.6g/t Au from 19m; and 17m @ 1.6g/t Au from 62m.
Golden Horse is planning to undertake infill and extensional drilling at Hopes Hill South in 2027, with a mineral resource estimate to follow further drilling.
Meanwhile, assay results for 21 RC drill holes at Hopes Hill North remain outstanding, with laboratory backlogs slowing turnaround.
Hold your horses, there’s more drilling afoot
Golden Horse also reports its RC rig has started mobilising from Hopes Hill for regional drilling, which will round out the company’s calendar year.
Drilling will test both the Golden Valley Group and Withers prospects located north of Bullfinch.
The company confirms regional greenfields exploration is continuing at a ‘record’ trot, with an aircore rig testing the Flemington and Randwick prospects.
Current drilling is anticipated to continue for several weeks.
Golden Horse Minerals is a gold explorer with over 1,800km2 of tenure within the Southern Cross Greenstone Belt in Western Australia.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Main image: Golden Horse Minerals
