With a broad aircore drilling campaign about to kick off, Yandal Resources Ltd has confirmed down-dip mineralisation continuity at the Arrakis Prospect in Western Australia’s Yandal Greenstone Belt.
The 12,500-metre aircore program at the broader Caladan target area is set to begin in May, and follows reverse circulation (RC) drilling that has turned up promising results.
First effective systematic drilling
“The 12,500-metre program will represent the first effective systematic drilling across this 8-kilometre long, 3-kilometre wide Caladan fold structure,” Yandal Resources managing director Chris Oorschot said.
“Early-stage targets of this calibre and scale are now rare within the Northeastern Goldfields of Western Australia.
“I would challenge investors to find a similar early-stage opportunity within a jurisdiction like Western Australia and so close to existing mining infrastructure.”
RC drilling at Arrakis, part of the Ironstone Well-Barwidgee Gold Project, intersected multiple zones of gold mineralisation, which points to the geological potential of the Caladan Fold structure.
Strong results include 11 metres at 0.5 g/t gold from 168 metres, including 3 metres at 1.2 g/t gold in hole 25AKSL003, and 5 metres at 1.3 g/t gold from 243 metres, including 2 metres at 2.7 g/t gold in hole 25IWBRC0037.
Additional shallow mineralised intervals were identified in the upper regolith, which remain open at depth.
Mineralisation is hosted within a sheared mafic sequence, which demonstrates sub-vertical geometry and associated with silica-sericite alteration and sulphide dissemination.
Continuous primary mineralisation
“To intercept intense alteration, large structures and see evidence of continuous primary mineralisation at such an early stage across the expansive Caladan target area is highly encouraging,” Oorschot said.
“With heritage surveys now complete, the exploration team will commence preparations for aircore drilling.”
The RC campaign focused on testing beneath a prior aircore intercept (11 metres at 1.7 g/t gold to end-of-hole in 24IWBAC063), and confirms the presence of multiple mineralised structures across the 3-kilometre CAL-01 regolith anomaly.
The Caladan target area covers an 8 kilometre by 3 kilometre folded mafic sequence, truncated by the Idaho Shear Zone.
The geological setting bears similarities to major gold districts such as Kalgoorlie, enhancing its exploration appeal.
Systematic drilling to date has been limited, with the upcoming aircore program representing the first broad-scale test of this underexplored structure.
The heritage survey required to commence the aircore program is now complete.
The program will test some 6.4 kilometres of strike along the Caladan Fold across 10 drill lines, with results expected in the September quarter.
The Ironstone Well-Barwidgee Gold Project is just 60 kilometres south of the Jundee mining complex and 18 kilometres north of the recent Siona discovery and is shaping up as one of several high-priority assets within Yandal’s portfolio.
The company maintains a strong cash position and is preparing for a busy June quarter, with additional results from diamond drilling at Siona anticipated mid-May.