Yandal Resources Ltd (ASX:YRL) has identified new gold exploration targets in an initial review of regional soil sampling from the northwest portion of the Ironstone Well-Barwidgee Gold Project in WA.
The review shows strong evidence of gold extending beyond the limit of current drilling at the Oblique and Flushing Meadows prospects, while also providing new early-stage targets based on gold and pathfinder element results.
Offering a new critical minerals opportunity, the review also highlighted several lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) anomalies with potential for battery metal mineralisation.
The company also completed diamond drilling at the New England Granite Prospect, with both holes hitting their target at the granite contact, which displayed encouraging deformation and alteration.
Follow-up drilling to come
“We are very pleased with the soil sampling results, as they represent the first regional-scale multi-element dataset across any of our projects,” Yandal Resources managing director Chris Oorschot said.
“The data has significantly enhanced our understanding of the prospectivity of known gold prospects and has highlighted new exploration targets which are a priority for follow-up.
“Given the program's success, we will be looking to extend soil sampling over the emerging Caladan target area.”
The company says the soil sampling results over the edge of the Caladan fold and the Irulan dolerite complex offer further evidence of recently identified gold targets in those areas.
Yandal plans to follow up all soil anomalies flagged in this sampling program in the field within the current quarter, while also extending soil sampling over the Caladan target area.
New England Granite drilling
“The two Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) co-sponsored diamond holes at the New England Granite Prospect have been completed,” Oorschot continued.
“Both holes successfully achieved the key objective of testing the granitic contact. Significantly, the exploration team has observed evidence of deformation and alteration on and adjacent to both observed intrusive contacts.
“This is precisely what we hoped to see and strongly supports the granite margin targeting model developed by the exploration team.”
Yandal says it will apply the insights gleaned from this drilling program to design a broader reverse circulation (RC) drilling program across the New England Granite prospect.
Assay results from the program will require a 3-6-week turnaround, with the follow-up drilling campaign targeted for late August.