Yandal Resources Ltd (ASX:YRL) has launched a significant air-core drilling program at its Caladan target area, part of the broader Ironstone Well-Barwidgee Gold Project in Western Australia. The 12,500-metre program will target a vast 6.4-kilometre strike length, further advancing exploration in the highly prospective Yandal Greenstone Belt.
The fresh campaign at Caladan will see air-core drilling completed across ten lines, strategically spaced to provide a comprehensive test of the target area’s geological structures. The program aims to explore an 8km-by-3km fold structure that is truncated to the southwest by the Idaho Shear Zone — geological architecture that shares similarities with well-established gold districts, including the Kalgoorlie region.
The Caladan target area is covered by shallow transported material, with substantial opportunity to unlock gold potential within the under-explored area.
Progress at Arrakis Prospect
Recent drilling across a single line at the Caladan target area has confirmed primary gold mineralisation associated with the 3km-long CAL-01 regolith anomaly. This anomaly, now defined as the Arrakis Prospect, is central to the target area and provides a compelling focus for further exploration.
A collar plan over the Caladan target area, showing simplified bedrock geology interpretation across the Caladan and northern Irulan target areas within the IWB Gold Project.
The ongoing air-core drilling program will be conducted with 200m hole spacing across 800m-to-400m spaced lines, and it will test significant strike potential. Closer-spaced holes will focus on key structures identified during the previous drilling phase. Initial assay results from this phase are expected between early July and late August.
Geological significance of the Caladan target area
The Caladan Fold is a major structural feature within the region, with a northwest plunging fold structure that has been truncated by the Idaho Shear. This shear zone links the Ockerburry Shear Zone to the east and the Barwidgee Shear Zone to the west, further enhancing the area's geological importance.
Despite some historical broad-based shallow drilling efforts, this structure remains largely unexplored, presenting a rare greenfield opportunity for gold discovery.
Yandal's recent drilling across the Caladan Fold has already confirmed strong gold depletion in the regolith profile, with a significant correlation between gravity highs and fractionated dolerites. Follow-up RC drilling has also confirmed primary gold mineralisation, supporting the notion that the area is highly prospective for further discoveries.
Cross-section showing all drilling results from Arrakis with a simple preliminary interpretation of geology.
Looking ahead
With this large-scale air-core program under way, Yandal Resources is set to continue expanding its footprint in the Yandal Greenstone Belt. The program is expected to take four to six weeks to complete, with assay results from the first phase anticipated by the end of August.
The company remains focused on maintaining its strong cash position and advancing its 2025 exploration schedule, which includes further drilling across the New England Granite and additional heritage surveys.
As results from the current program flow in, Yandal will continue to push forward with exploration activities, looking to further define the potential of the Caladan target area and beyond.