Astral Resources strengthens Theia Stage 1 pit with more high-grade gold hits
Astral Resources NL (ASX:AAR) has delivered another batch of thick, high-grade gold intersections from infill drilling at the Theia deposit, further strengthening the proposed Stage 1 open pit at its 100%-owned Mandilla Gold Project near Kalgoorlie.
Assays from the latest 41 reverse circulation holes covering 4,456 metres returned a weighted average grade of 1.54 g/t gold, above the 1.1 g/t Mineral Resource grade within the Stage 1 pit and continuing to validate Astral’s geological and resource models.
Standout intersections included:
7 metres at 10.4 g/t gold from 133 metres, including 1 metre at 53.0 g/t, in AMRC446;
13 metres at 5.00 g/t from 36 metres, including 1 metre at 36.8 g/t, in AMRC431; and
4 metres at 13.5 g/t from 106 metres, including 1 metre at 45.7 g/t, in AMRC410.
Exceptional result from Theia Deeps hole
Astral also reported results from AMRCD374, an RC hole with a diamond tail drilled from within the proposed Stage 1 pit as part of the deeper exploration program.
Although the hole was terminated at 318.9 metres because of excessive deviation, it returned several exceptional high-grade zones, led by 1 metre at 219 g/t gold from 25 metres.
Other intersections included:
3 metres at 15.4 g/t gold from 141 metres, including 0.3 metres at 122 g/t,
13 metres at 2.29 g/t from 62 metres, including 1 metre at 21.8 g/t, and
3.35 metres at 5.86 g/t from 229 metres, including 0.3 metres at 60.4 g/t.
Managing director Marc Ducler said the results reinforced confidence in the early mining inventory contemplated in the Mandilla pre-feasibility study.
“The average weighted grade of 1.54g/t Au across this latest batch of assays gives us further confidence that the current program is not only delivering on but exceeding expectations,” he said.