Ordell Minerals (ASX:ORD) has begun a 14,000m drilling program at the Barimaia Gold Project in Western Australia, targeting a maiden mineral resource estimate in the December quarter.
The program comprises about 10,000m of infill reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the McNabs East Main and Northern zones, alongside 4,000m of aircore drilling across the broader mineralised system.
The RC component will test the continuity of shallow mineralisation that Ordell considers potentially amenable to open pit extraction. The company also says aircore drilling will target new prospective intrusions beyond those already identified.
Combined with about 6,300m drilled since May, the latest campaign will lift total drilling at Barimaia to approximately 20,000m between May and September.
Recent extensional drilling at McNabs East returned 9.7m @ 1.94 grams per tonne gold (Au) from 203.2m in hole 26BADD042 and 6.5m @ 3.14g/t Au from 213m in 26BADD036.
Other results include 2m @ 4.59g/t Au from 140m, 2.2m @ 5.13g/t Au from 155.9m, and 5m @ 1.89g/t Au from 137m. Ordell says the drilling has extended mineralisation down-dip and down-plunge to the east.
At The Furnace target, first-pass drilling across more than 900m of strike returned 4m @ 2.47g/t Au from 82m.
Managing Director Michael Fowler says the immediate priority is completing the infill program required for the maiden resource.
“This will, in turn, provide us with the foundation to assess the potential for a near-term development opportunity at Barimaia,” Fowler says.
Further extension drilling is planned at McNabs East during the December quarter, targeting mineralisation at depth within the granodiorite host rock.
Ordell holds an 80.3% interest in Barimaia, acquired from Genesis Minerals (ASX:GMD), which owns 7.9% of Ordell. The project lies beside Ramelius Resources’ (ASX:RMS) Mount Magnet operations and 6km south-east of the Eridanus deposit, which hosts 24 million tonnes @ 1.7g/t Au for 1.3 million ounces of gold.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Ordell Minerals
