Surefire Resources NL (ASX:SRN)earlier this week confirmed the completion of a drilling campaign at its Yidby Gold Project in Western Australia and revealed significant intercepts as it moves toward a maiden mineral resource estimate. Managing director Paul Burton spoke with Proactive about tne latest milestone.
Highlihghts
- Surefire Resources completed drilling at Yidby Gold Project, delivering wide mineralised zones up to 100 metres.
- Over 150 drill holes now support the progression to a maiden mineral resource estimate.
- The system spans over three kilometres, with coarse gold characteristics being managed through 1m sampling.
- Yidby shares geological similarities with Capricorn Metals’ Mt Gibson mine (4.50 million ounces of gold).
- Surefire’s current drilling only reaches 100 metres; deeper drilling (Capricorn at 700m) is planned.
- A mining licence application has been submitted.
- Further metallurgical testing is planned, including cyanide leach and gravity recovery trials.
- At Copper Hill (3km from Yidby), a bedrock conductor was identified via EM survey.
- The target is near historical copper intercepts and strong soil anomalies.
- Next steps likely include drill testing the Copper Hill conductor.
Right time to progress
Surefire has now drilled over 150 holes across a mineralised system that extends more than three kilometres. Managing Director Paul Burton told Proactive that broad intersections of up to 100 metres were being observed, prompting a formal move into the resource estimation phase.
Burton said, “It’s the right time for us to now progress this project and develop it into a mineral resource.”
Surefire has appointed a resource consulting geologist and will analyse one-metre samples to improve confidence in gold grades, noting the challenges posed by coarse gold.
Yidby's upside
The Yidby Project lies within the same greenstone belt as Capricorn Metals’ Mt Gibson mine, which hosts 4.50 million ounces of gold. Burton noted that Capricorn’s resource extends to depths of 700 metres, while Surefire’s drilling to date has only reached 100 metres — indicating significant potential at depth.
The company has also submitted a mining licence application for Yidby and will conduct additional metallurgical tests. Previous test work has shown high recovery using cyanide leach and gravity separation methods.
Burton said the project’s location next to the Great Northern Highway added to its strategic advantages.
Copper Hill progress
In parallel, Surefire reported progress at the Copper Hill Project, located just 3km from Yidby. The company completed a first-phase electromagnetic survey, identifying a conductor in the bedrock. The anomaly is close to a historic drill hole that intersected 0.92% copper and lies within a zone of high copper and zinc soil anomalies.
The company said this finding was encouraging and confirmed it would consider drill testing the target in the next phase of work.
Investors can expect further updates on both Yidby’s resource estimate and follow-up exploration at Copper Hill over the coming weeks.