Pilbara Gold (ASX:PGL) has mobilised six drill rigs at its 2.1 million ounce Mt York Gold Project as it targets resource growth and advances its Prefeasibility Study (PFS).
The company reports 13,748m of drilling completed across 39 holes at the Western Australian project, representing 25% of its planned program of more than 50,000m. Five rigs are currently operating, with a sixth due by month-end.
Drilling targets extensions of the 4.2km-long banded iron formation (BIF) that hosts the deposit, with 50% focused on extending mineralisation outside the current resource at depth and along strike.
Managing Director Peter Turner says the accelerated program aims to ‘increase resources’ while completing infill drilling to boost confidence ahead of a new mineral resource estimate later this year.
“We have adopted an accelerated drilling timetable by adding a sixth rig to the fleet at Mt York, with the program already 25% complete,” Turner says.
Recent drilling at Main Hill Extension follows previous results, including 9m @ 3.92 grams per tonne gold (Au) from 97m and 16m @ 2.60g/t Au from 143m. The drilling has successfully intersected BIF units across all holes.
Drilling has moved to Main Hill and Breccia Hill, targeting depth extensions below the current resource and converting inferred resources to indicated.
Hole 26MYDD022 at Main Hill’s western end intersected more than 50m of sulphide alteration, veining, and brecciation within the BIF. The hole sits 100m down dip from previous mineralisation in hole 25MYDD031, which returned 53m @ 1.45g/t Au from 212m, including 10m @ 2.95g/t Au from 239m.
Turner says geological characteristics between the two holes appear ‘identical’, suggesting mineralisation continues at least 100m below the current resource.
First assay results are expected from late July, with laboratory turnaround times in Perth extended to eight weeks.
The PFS is progressing toward a target completion date of Q2 2027. Metallurgical test work commenced in September 2025, with four bulk composites formed for flowsheet development alongside 12 comminution samples and 22 variability composites.
Orway Mineral Consultants has been engaged to review comminution test work results and conduct circuit trade-off studies. A 400km2 light detection and ranging topographic survey has been completed across the Mt York area to support the PFS.
Pilbara Gold is a Western Australian gold explorer advancing its Mt York and Roe Hills projects, with a portfolio of exploration assets across the Pilbara and Eastern Goldfields.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Images: Pilbara Gold
