Mount Hope Mining (ASX:MHM) has awarded the drilling contract for the third phase of exploration at its Mt Solitary Gold prospect in New South Wales.
The program will comprise up to 3,000m of reverse circulation (RC) drilling, beginning in mid-August and running for about six weeks. Drill pad construction and access works are already underway.
Mount Hope will test the southern and western extensions of Mt Solitary, including an area up to 200m south of the current mineralised envelope.
Drilling will also target a highly resistive geophysical feature identified by controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotellurics (CSAMT) surveying along the MS2 Corridor south of the prospect.
The program will follow up previous results including 66m @ 2.36 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) from 24m, 10m @ 12.11g/t Au from surface, and 6m @ 17.90g/t Au from 55m.
Other intercepts include 21m @ 4.77g/t Au from 70m and 22.50m @ 4.26g/t Au from 66m.
CEO Fergus Kiley says the company remains on schedule to begin drilling in mid-August.
“This program will test the southern and western extensions of the mineralised system well beyond the limits of current drilling, as well as the compelling CSAMT target along the MS2 Corridor,” Kiley says.
Mount Hope plans to use the results to expand the known gold system and support work towards a maiden mineral resource estimate by the end of 2026.
Mt Solitary has an exploration target of between 1.32 million and 1.87 million tonnes @ 1–1.35g/t Au for 42,500–81,400 ounces.
The potential quantity and grade are conceptual because insufficient exploration has been completed to estimate a mineral resource. Mount Hope says it remains uncertain whether further exploration will result in one being defined.
Mt Solitary lies within the 7.5km-long MS2 Gold Corridor at Mount Hope Mining’s 606km² project in the southern Cobar Basin.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Mount Hope Mining
