Alto Metals Ltd (ASX:AME) has accelerated its extensive 2021 exploration program at the flagship Sandstone Gold Project, thanks to the on-time arrival of a second reverse circulation drill rig.
Alto is undertaking a 30,000-metre drilling program focused on targets within the Lords Corridor of the project, to test extensions of known high-grade gold mineralisation.
The first RC drill rig, which arrived in early February, is operating at the Lord Henry open pit targeting depth extensions of known mineralisation before it moves on to test strike and depth extensions at Lord Nelson.
A second rig has been immediately mobilised to the Orion Lode, to test strike and depth extensions to known mineralisation.
“Excited about potential”
Alto managing director Matthew Bowles said the company was excited to discover the potential of the Lords Corridor, which extended beyond three kilometres.
“With recent results from a major step-out hole highlighting another new mineralised zone along the Lords Corridor, we are really excited about the potential that is starting to emerge at our Sandstone Gold Project,” he said.
“With two rigs now drilling at Lord Henry, Lord Nelson and a number of other priority targets, we are really looking forward to seeing the drilling demonstrate the significant potential that we continue to see at the Sandstone Gold Project.”
Good news keeps coming
The arrival of the second RC drill follows a period of positive news for Alto.
On February 8 the company increased its landholding at Sandstone with the acquisition of additional land from Gateway Mining Ltd (ASX:GML), contiguous with Alto’s 331,000-ounce Sandstone tenements.
Just a few days earlier, Alto announced step-out drilling had intersected gold in every drill hole at the Vanguard target, about 8 kilometres northwest of the Lords Corridor.
An induced polarisation survey at Lords Corridor also revealed targets at depth, with drilling confirming a new 32-metre-thick zone of gold mineralisation.
The first RC drill is exploring this zone, with Alto very hopeful the program will be “significantly expanded”, while the second rig will explore a planned 8,000 metres at Vanguard and an initial 2,000 metres at Chance, with up to $150,000 co-funded by the WA State Government.
Alto’s 30,000-metre program is likely to continue through April across these targets with further RC drilling targeted for May.
- Daniel Paproth