Great Boulder Resources (ASX:GBR) has brought its third drill rig on site at the Side Well Gold Project near Meekatharra in Western Australia.
The newly acquired diamond drill rig is set to begin drilling at the Ironbark prospect shortly, accompanying the two other rigs concurrently working at the Eaglehawk and Ironbark North prospects.
The program will see the rig completing seven drillholes near the Ironbark Stage 2 pit design, using orient core to assess rock strength and pit wall stability ahead of mine design required for a Prefeasibility Study.
With another drill rig, Managing Director Andrew Paterson explains that the company’s current exploration and development program is expediting quickly.
“We have a program of core drilling to provide data for the Ironbark geotechnical assessment prior to detailed mine design,” Paterson says.
“Those holes have also been designed to provide samples for metallurgical testing once the geotechnical logging is complete, maximising the value of each hole drilled.”
As recently reported by Mining.com.au, the company is pushing the Eaglehawk – Ironbark area towards resource growth, with an aircore drill currently targeting new targets in the first phase of drilling.
Meanwhile, the Eaglehawk prospect is undergoing its third phase drilling targeting resource definition.
“That program is already being adjusted in response to the weekend’s intersection of vein-hosted coarse visible gold, with follow-up holes to be drilled in the next few days,” Paterson adds.
The company intends to commence deep diamond drilling at the Mulga Bill and Eaglehawk deposits in Q4 2025, with further drilling to be planned across other prospects as assay results are returned.
Great Boulder Resources is a gold and base metals explorer focused on developing its portfolio of assets in Western Australia.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Great Boulder Resources
