Iltani Resources (ASX:ILT) has begun a 10-hole versatile time-domain electromagnetic (VTEM) drilling program at the Orient Silver-Indium Project in Queensland.
The program will test shallow VTEM targets at Orient, which is anticipated to take two to three weeks to complete.
Drillhole ORR128 is underway and is targeting the Orient North area. Once completed, the drill rig will progressively test the remaining shallow targets.
Managing Director Donald Garner says the company is “confident” that the VTEM anomalies are generated by sulphide mineralisation.
“A successful outcome to the drilling will give us greater confidence to target the deeper VTEM anomalies with diamond drilling, plus confirm the presence of mineralisation at Orient outside the current MRE areas, demonstrating the potential to continue to grow Orient,” Garner says.
Iltani, which has a market capitalisation of $32.31 million, also received the final results from the Orient East JORC extension drilling program which returned multiple wide intersections of silver-indium mineralisation.
In August 2025, the company restarted the 2,100m reverse circulation drilling program, ahead of a resource estimate due in mid-October.
Some of the latest results include 7m @ 113.7 grams per tonne silver-equivalent (AgEq) from 127m; and 8m @ 160g/t AgEq from 150m, including 5m @ 229g/t AgEq from 153m and 3m @ 302.3g/t AgEq from 154m.
A clear path forward
Garner adds that with the final assays, Mining One can calculate the maiden Orient East mineral resource estimate (MRE).
“The maiden Orient East MRE will build on the existing Orient West MRE to enable Iltani to deliver an initial Orient Project MRE, in just over two years from listing, which is a great credit to our technical team,” he says.
“Now, the pathway forward for Iltani at Orient is clear – we will advance the Orient Project, whilst we continue to explore the larger Orient system.”
Orient is a silver-rich epithermal system, extending over at least 6km2. The key economic minerals are silver-rich galena and indium-rich sphalerite, with historical testwork indicating that silver, indium, lead, and zinc are recoverable to, and payable in a lead-silver concentrate and a zinc-indium-silver concentrate.
The Orient Project, located in Northern Queensland, is part of the broader Herberton Project which covers 370km2.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Iltani Resources
