Astral Resources unearths wide bedrock gold beneath Spargoville’s 8500N deposit

Proactive Published 08/09/2025

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Astral Resources NL (ASX:AAR) has reported broad gold intercepts from its first drilling program at the Spargoville Gold Project in Western Australia, confirming a thick core of mineralisation beneath the 8500N palaeochannel deposit.

Highlights from the initial 23 assays of the 76-hole, 11,744-metre reverse circulation (RC) campaign include:

18 metres at 0.80 g/t gold from 73 metres, 11 metres at 1.19 g/t gold from 95 metres and 26 metres at 2.0 g/t gold from 111 metres (SGRC006);
20 metres at 1.37 g/t from 43 metres and 13 metres at 1.24 g/t gold from 111 metres (SGRC004);
10 metres at 1.43 g/t from 54 metres and 7 metres at 0.86 g/t gold from 178 metres (SGRC007); and
10 metres at 1.42 g/t from 77 metres (SGRC012).

Cross-section through 8500N illustrating drill trace, assay results and geological interpretation.

The results confirm consistent gold mineralisation across a 300-metre strike length in felsic volcaniclastics beneath the 8500N deposit, which sits about 600 metres north of the historic Wattle Dam Gold Mine and currently hosts a shallow resource of 0.5 million tonnes at 1.3 g/t gold for 19,000 ounces.

First program since Maximus acquisition

The campaign marks Astral’s inaugural drilling at Spargoville since acquiring Maximus Resources in May. The project lies immediately south of Kalgoorlie, adjacent to Astral’s flagship Mandilla Gold Project, and supports the company’s multi-asset growth strategy.

Map illustrating the location of the Mandilla, Spargoville and Feysville Gold Projects.

Managing director Marc Ducler said the results point to strong potential for resource growth at 8500N.

“As a first-pass program on a substantial portfolio of deposits and targets, these new assay results provide real encouragement,” Ducler said.

“It should be remembered that the Wattle Dam Gold Mine, which produced 266,000 ounces of gold at 10.6 g/t, was approximately 10 metres wide by only 50 metres in strike length, indicating that very valuable deposits can be found in this area with very small mineralisation signatures,” he added.

Map of the 8500N Deposit illustrating drill collar locations of recent and historical drilling on local area geology.

“The results from the fresh rock drill tests at 8500N are very encouraging and highlight the potential to add significantly to the existing shallow Mineral Resources currently estimated.”

Ducler noted that results are still pending for 53 holes drilled across the Trapdoor–Lindsay’s Reward trend and the Eagles Nest deposit, with further upside possible.

Map of Spargoville Gold Project identifying gold deposits on local area geology.

Karramindie delivers high-grade hits

Drilling at the Karramindie prospect also returned encouraging assays, including:

1 metre at 8.66 g/t from 50 metres (AMRC020);
9 metres at 0.91 g/t from 60 metres (AMRC014); and
8 metres at 0.87 g/t from 35 metres (AMRC018).

Mineralisation at Karramindie is hosted within quartz veins along the same structural corridor as Astral’s Hestia Deposit, highlighting regional prospectivity.

Map of the Karramindie Prospect illustrating drill collar locations of recent and historical drilling on local area geology.

Mandilla drilling continues

Alongside Spargoville, Astral is progressing a 99-hole, 10,000-metre in-fill program at the Theia deposit within Mandilla. About 25% of this campaign has been completed, with assays pending.

In addition to the in-fill work, exploratory RC drilling is planned at Theia with the aim of bridging the current known extents of mineralisation south of Theia and north of Iris. Diamond drilling targeting high-grade shear-hosted structures is expected to start early in the December quarter.

Lithium exploration underway

Astral has also launched a 21-hole, 2,500-metre RC program on lithium-pegmatite targets within the Spargoville tenure under its joint venture with Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corporation (KOMIR).

With multiple gold and battery metal programs running in parallel, Astral is positioning Spargoville as a valuable complement to Mandilla, where a recent Preliminary Feasibility Study outlined potential for a long-life, standalone operation.