Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX:OBM, OTC:ESGFF) has expanded the scale of mineralisation at its Little Gem prospect in Western Australia after new drilling extended the system and revealed a previously unrecognised parallel mineralised trend.
Latest exploration results have stretched the mineralised envelope at Little Gem to more than 1,500 metres of strike and 750 metres vertically below surface, with mineralisation still open in multiple directions as drilling continues.
The company has also discovered a new “Sapphire Trend”, located about 200 metres east of the Little Gem Trend, which could represent an additional lode system running parallel to the existing mineralisation.
Ora Banda is targeting delivery of a maiden mineral resource estimate for Little Gem in the second half of 2026 as drilling progresses.
Drone image looking North showing the location of the main Little Gem and Sapphire Trend in relation to the Riverina Underground Mine.
New parallel mineralised trend emerges
Step-out drilling identified the Sapphire Trend during exploration work around the Little Gem system. The new structure appears to run parallel to the main Little Gem Trend and could open up a broader mineralised corridor within the area.
Initial drilling has already returned encouraging intersections from the Sapphire Trend, including:
- 18.0 metres at 2.7 g/t gold
- 10.2 metres at 4.2 g/t gold, including 0.4 metres at 39.5 g/t
- 11.5 metres at 2.8 g/t gold
The company said the new trend has not previously been specifically targeted by exploration programs, suggesting further drilling could reveal additional mineralisation.
Both the Little Gem and Sapphire trends form part of a north–south striking mineralised package composed of multiple sub-parallel gold lodes.
Little Gem continues to grow
Recent drilling at the main Little Gem prospect has further extended the known mineralised footprint, confirming the scale of the system.
The mineralised envelope now stretches over more than 1.5 kilometres along strike, while drilling has traced mineralisation 750 metres below surface, with the system still open at depth and along strike.
Notable recent intercepts at Little Gem include:
- 10.0 metres at 6.9 g/t gold, including 2.0 metres at 26.9 g/t
- 6.0 metres at 11.3 g/t gold, including 1.0 metre at 60.0 g/t
- 16.0 metres at 3.0 g/t gold, including 1.0 metre at 17.2 g/t
- 14.9 metres at 3.2 g/t gold, including 0.9 metres at 11.0 g/t
- 10.4 metres at 2.7 g/t gold, including 0.5 metres at 19.1 g/t
More than 150 drill holes have now been completed across the prospect as the company works towards defining a maiden resource.
Sunraysia prospect adds further upside
Exploration drilling has also delivered promising results at the Sunraysia prospect, located about 3 kilometres south of Little Gem along the same structural corridor.
Recent intersections there include:
- 9.0 metres at 4.1 g/t gold, including 2.0 metres at 14.5 g/t
- 3.0 metres at 9.3 g/t gold, including 1.0 metre at 21.2 g/t
Drilling at Sunraysia has extended the prospective strike of the Little Gem Trend by roughly 800 metres to the south, with mineralisation still open.
Together, the Little Gem and Sunraysia prospects form part of a broader 7.5-kilometre mineralised corridor stretching from Riverina to Sunraysia.
Composite Long Section – Riverina to Sunraysia on the Little Gem Trend looking west.
Building resource potential near Davyhurst
Ora Banda managing director Luke Creagh said the latest results continue to demonstrate the scale of the Little Gem system and the exploration upside across the broader corridor.
“The work we’ve been doing is a reminder of the enormous organic growth potential of our ground, and as part of this, we very much look forward to delivering a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate for Little Gem in the second half of CY26,” Creagh said.
The results follow another major exploration milestone announced this week, with Ora Banda growing the Round Dam mineral resource nearly tenfold to 1.33 million ounces, lifting the company’s global resource base to 3.3 million ounces.
The Little Gem system sits near Ora Banda’s Riverina underground mine and the Davyhurst processing hub, positioning any future resource development close to existing infrastructure.
Overview showing location of Riverina Underground and Little Gem compared to Davyhurst processing hub.
As drilling continues across the area, the discovery of the Sapphire Trend and the expansion of mineralisation at Little Gem and Sunraysia highlight the growing exploration potential across the company’s broader Davyhurst landholding.