Maritana Minerals (ASX:MRT) has returned further gold intersections from beneath the Main Lode at its Burbanks Gold Project in Western Australia.
Assays have been received for 11 of the 20 diamond holes completed during phase-two drilling, which tested extensions to the Burbanks Underground mineralisation.
Results include 0.48m @ 25.19 grams per tonne gold (Au) from 224.63m in hole 26HBBD062. The same hole returned 0.76m @ 9.02g/t Au from 231.42m, including 0.38m @ 16.41g/t Au.
Meanwhile, hole 26HBBD054 intersected 2.1m @ 3.33g/t Au from 215m, while 26HBBD056 returned 3.89m @ 2.25g/t Au from 299.11m, including 2m @ 3.69g/t Au from 301m.
The results are reported as downhole lengths and do not necessarily represent true widths. Maritana says restrictions on collar locations meant many holes intersected the steeply dipping mineralisation at oblique angles.
Managing Director and CEO Grant Haywood says the drilling has expanded the mineralised footprint beneath the Main Lode.
“Phase-two drilling has successfully extended the high-grade mineralised footprint at depth below the Main Lode, with consistent intercepts confirming continuity of the Burbanks shear,” Haywood says.
“Burbanks Underground is firming as a new potential source of feed for Maritana’s 100%-owned Black Swan Processing Hub to enhance and extend our existing LOM [life-of-mine] plan.”
Burbanks Underground is not included in the hub’s current LOM plan.
The drilling update follows Maritana securing key regulatory approvals and advancing infrastructure works at Black Swan, as previously reported by Mining.com.au. The company is targeting first gold production from the hub in the second half of 2027.
The 20-hole phase-two program covered approximately 6,400m, following 53 holes totalling 15,798m in phase one. It combined infill drilling within the existing mineral resource with tests of extensions below the Main Lode.
Most holes were collared on neighbouring tenements owned by Auric Mining (ASX:AWJ) under an access agreement, allowing Maritana to improve the drilling angles.
Burbanks, located 9km south of Coolgardie, hosts a mineral resource estimate of 6.05 million tonnes (Mt) @ 2.39g/t Au for 465,600 ounces.
This includes an underground resource of 1.19Mt @ 4.38g/t Au for 167,900 ounces and an open-pit resource of 4.86Mt @ 1.90g/t Au for 297,700 ounces.
Maritana expects to report the remaining phase-two assays during the September quarter. An updated resource incorporating phase-one results is also due this quarter, followed by another update including phase-two drilling in the December quarter.
The company says it plans further drilling at Burbanks South during the December quarter.
Maritana Minerals is a Western Australian gold development company advancing a portfolio of open-pit and underground deposits as potential feed sources for its wholly owned Black Swan Processing Hub.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Maritana Minerals
