Alien Metals Ltd (AIM:UFO, OTC:ASLRF) said its latest drilling programme will start soon at the Hancock iron ore project, part of its Hamersley iron ore project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
The aim of the Phase 3 infill drilling programme, consisting of about 1,400 metres of reverse circulation (RC) drilling, is to increase geological confidence in the existing JORC-compliant inferred resource estimate of 10.4 million tonnes at 60.4% iron.
The RC programme will also test extension mineralisation on the existing ridges as well as untested ridges to the south.
In addition, the company plans to use a diamond drill rig to drill up to 650 metres in seven holes.
"Following on from our initial maiden JORC resource and positive scoping study work, we are delighted to be going back out into the field at Hancock to undertake this important infill drilling at the Western Ridges orebodies,” said chief executive Bill Brodie Good.
“Additionally, we will also undertake new exploration drilling to commence our expansion of the resource potential of the project,” he added.
In October, AIM-listed Alien unveiled an initial independent scoping study for Hancock which showed that the current resource estimate would sustain an eight-year mine life, based on a mining rate of 1.25 million tonnes per year.