Great Boulder Resources Ltd (ASX:GBR) has started drilling of new gold targets within the 14-kilometre-long Ironbark corridor at the Side Well Gold Project near Meekatharra in Western Australia.
Reverse circulation (RC) and aircore drilling is underway at the Saltbush prospect south of Ironbark and is the first drilling to test a series opf new targets within the corridor.
The company has been able to kick oiff the drilling program after receiving heritage clearances last Friday following field surveys undertaken in September and October of 2023.
“Important milestone”
Great Boulder’s managing director Andrew Paterson said: “This program at the Saltbush prospect marks an important milestone at Side Well, as it is the first drilling to test a series of exciting new targets within the 14-kilometre Ironbark corridor.”
This program will consist of five RC holes around the historic Saltbush workings followed by fences of aircore drilling testing the broader geochemical anomaly with assay results expected in late January or early February 2024.
Saltbush is the first of many highly prospective targets to be tested within the Ironbark corridor.
“Exciting target”
“Saltbush is an exciting walk-up drill target with several historic shafts in which we’ve taken rock chip samples assaying up to 14.85 g/t gold, which demonstrates the presence of gold mineralisation close to surface,” Paterson said.
"There is also a broad geochemical anomaly more than 400 metres long defined by auger sampling.”
He said: “For context, Ironbark was originally defined by two adjacent geochemical samples on one line of auger holes, and GBR successfully turned that into a 100,000-ounce gold discovery. We are aiming to replicate that success with multiple new targets within the corridor.”
GBR expects to finish the drilling on Friday, December 22, after which the rig will be stored at nearby Sherwood Station until fieldwork recommences in January 2024.
“We will complete a short program of shallow RC and aircore holes at Saltbush before Christmas, then store the rig nearby ready to recommence field work after the break in January,” Paterson added.