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Astral Resources NL (ASX: AAR) (Astral or the Company) is pleased to report on its activities during the quarter ended 30 June 2024 (the Quarter).
HIGHLIGHTS
Feysville Gold Project – near Kalgoorlie, WA
- A total of 7,807 metres of drilling completed during the Quarter at Feysville, comprised of the following:
- 21-holesfor2,740metresofreversecirculation(RC)drillingatthe Kamperman Prospect.
- 32-holes for 1,673 metres of RC drilling at the Rogan Josh Prospect.
- 120-holes for 3,664 metres of reconnaissance slimline RC drilling.
- A 26-hole/2,808 metre RC program commenced at the Kamperman Prospect during late June (3 holes for 298 metres completed during the Quarter) and was completed during July. Assay results are pending.
- Assay results reported from 15-holes (1,662 metres) of RC drilling completed at the Kamperman Prospect during February 20241.
- Assay results reported from 18-holes (2,172 metres) of RC drilling completed at the Kamperman Prospect during April 20242.
- Assay results reported subsequent to the end of the Quarter from 32-holes (1,673 metres) of RC drilling completed during the Quarter at the Rogan Josh Prospect 3, 4.
- Assay results reported from 120-holes (3,664 metres) of reconnaissance air-core (AC) drilling completed during the Quarter4.
- Following receipt of the Kamperman assay results, a maiden Kamperman and Rogan Josh MRE will be prepared along with an updated MRE for Think Big, scheduled for release in the September Quarter 2024.
Mandilla Gold Project – near Kalgoorlie, WA
- Planning for a 14,000 metre in-fill RC drilling program aimed at upgrading the Inferred Resources within the Stage 1 and Stage 2 Theia open pits has been completed. Drilling is scheduled to commence during August 2024.
Corporate
- Cash of approximately $5.77 million as at 30 June 2024.
- Placement of 140 million shares at $0.05 per share to raise $7 million (before costs) completed. Additionally, Company Directors subscribed for 2.1 million shares at $0.05 per share, approved at a general meeting held 20 May 2024.
Figure 1 –Location map identifying Company projects.
MANDILLA GOLD PROJECT
The Mandilla Gold Project (Mandilla) is situated in the northern Widgiemooltha greenstone belt, approximately 70 kilometres south of the significant mining centre of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia (Figure 1).
The area hosts world-class deposits such as the Golden Mile Super Pit in Kalgoorlie owned by Northern Star Resources Limited (ASX:NST) and the St Ives Gold Mine south of Kambalda owned by Gold Fields Limited, as well as the substantial Beta Hunt Gold Mine owned by Karora Resources Inc. (TSX:KRR).
Mandilla is covered by existing Mining Leases which are not subject to any third-party royalties other than the standard WA Government gold royalty.
The Mandilla Gold Project includes the Theia, Iris, Eos and Hestia deposits.
Gold mineralisation at Theia and Iris is comprised of structurally controlled quartz vein arrays and hydrothermal alteration close to the western margin of the Emu Rocks Granite and locally in contact with sediments of the Spargoville Group.
Significant NW to WNW-trending structures along the western flank of the project are interpreted from aeromagnetic data to cut through the granitic intrusion. These structures are considered important in localising gold mineralisation at Theia, which has a mineralised footprint extending over a strike length of more than 1.6km.
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This article includes content from Astral Resources, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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Astral Resources
Overview
Astral Resources (ASX:AAR) is a gold mineral exploration company with three gold projects in tier 1 mining jurisdictions of Western Australia. The three assets are the Mandilla gold project, the Feysville gold project, and the Carnilya Hill gold project. The flagship and 100 percent owned Mandilla gold project has a mineral resource containing 1.27 million ounces (Moz) of contained gold. The other key project, 100 percent owned Feysville, hosts a mineral resource estimate of 3 million tons (Mt) at 1.3 grams per ton (g/t) gold for 116,000 ounces (oz) of contained gold. Feysville could potentially become a satellite source of high-grade ore feed for the flagship Mandilla gold project.
The scoping study completed at Mandilla unveils robust project economics. The cornerstone of the scoping study is the Theia deposit, which alone accounts for 81 percent of the total Mandilla mineral resource estimate. The deposit hosts a mineral resource estimate of 29 Mt at 1.1 g/t gold for 1.02 Moz of contained gold in one large open pit. The scoping study indicates a mine life of 11 years with an annual production of 100,000 oz in the first seven and a half years, dropping to 41,000 oz for the remaining three and a half years. The study outlines compelling financial metrics, including NPV@8 percent of AU$442 million, free cash flow of AU$740 million, and a payback period of nine months.
Astral Resources intends to increase production further. The assay results from the six-hole 1,832-metre drilling program completed at Theia deposit last year indicate a high potential for converting inferred resources to higher confidence indicated resources. Feysville presents another exciting opportunity, which is evident from the recent assay results at the Kamperman prospect. In 2023, Astral drilled 10 holes at Kamperman intersecting high-grade gold, including 4 metres at 94.8 g/t gold, 21 metres at 4.16 g/t gold, 35 metres at 2.19 g/t gold, 10 metres at 4.57 g/t gold, and 5 metres at 5.89 g/t gold.
The presence in Western Australia, a tier 1 mining jurisdiction, is encouraging and should comfort investors. Western Australia has world-class infrastructure and a skilled workforce. The Fraser Institute ranked it fourth globally and first in Australia as the most attractive jurisdiction for mining investment in 2023.
Astral benefits from a team of professionals boasting extensive expertise in geology and mining. The company is led by managing director Marc Ducler, who has more than two decades of experience in the mining industry. The management team has a proven track record of executing several successful exploration and development projects, as well as M&A.
Company Highlights
- Astral Resources is an ASX-listed gold exploration company in the Kalgoorlie region of Western Australia, a tier 1 jurisdiction and a mature mining region with successful development history and granted mining leases.
- The company has three assets - the Mandilla gold project, the Feysville gold project, and the Carnilya Hill gold exploration project.
- The focus is on advancing its flagship Mandilla gold project, with a mineral resource estimate of 37 Mt at 1.1 g/t gold for 1.27 Moz.
- The scoping study at Mandilla highlights the project’s robust economics with a mine life of 11 years, NPV@8 percent of AU$442 million, and free cash flow of AU$740 million.
- Mandilla’s cornerstone Theia deposit, which comprises 81 percent of the project’s resources, contains 29 Mt at 1.1 g/t gold, with 1.02 Moz of contained gold in one large open pit.
- Feysville project hosts a mineral resource estimate of 3 Mt at 1.3g/t gold for 116 koz of contained gold. The project could potentially become a source of satellite ore feed to Astral’s flagship Mandilla gold project.
- The company is led by an experienced team with a proven track record of advancing projects to development and M&A.
Key Projects
Mandilla Gold Project
The Mandilla gold project is located within the northern region of the Widgiemooltha greenstone belt, approximately 70 kilometers to the south of the prominent mining hub of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Mandilla includes four deposits namely, Theia, Iris, Eos and Hestia. The cornerstone of the project is the Theia deposit, constituting 81 percent of Mandilla's resources, totaling 29 Mt at a grade of 1.1 g/t gold, amounting to 1.02 Moz of contained gold in a single open pit. We note that Mandilla has a total mineral resource estimate of 37 Mt at 1.1 g/t gold for 1.27 Moz.
The scoping study indicates a mine life of 11 years with an annual production of 100,000 oz in the first seven and a half years, dropping to 41,000 oz for the remaining three and a half years. Astral estimates the pre-production capital spend at AU$191 million, and the project is anticipated to generate a free cash flow of AU$740 million (assuming a gold price of A$2,750/oz). The project’s NPV @8 percent is estimated at AU$442 million, and the IRR at 73 percent.
Drill collars at Theia deposit
Astral continues to advance exploration and resource expansion efforts at Mandilla. The company completed a six-hole 1,832 metre drilling program at Theia deposit last year. The assay results have been released and indicate a high potential for the conversion of inferred resources to higher confidence indicated resources. The assay results include: 39 metres at 5.4 g/t gold, 29 metres at 2.8 g/t gold, 28 metres at 1.4 g/t gold, 8 metres at 8.8 g/t gold.
Astral is planning to commence a pre-feasibility study at Mandilla.
Feysville Gold Project
The Feysville project is situated in Australia's premier gold belt, merely 14 km south of the Golden Mile deposit, which boasts 70 million ounces, located in Kalgoorlie. The project has a mineral resource estimate of 3 Mt at 1.3 g/t Au for 116,000 oz of contained gold. The project could potentially become a source of satellite ore feed to Astral’s flagship Mandilla gold project.
At Feysville, Astral is focusing on the high-grade Kamperman prospect. A recent 19-hole 2,459 reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at Kamperman returned encouraging assay results. The latest drilling program yielded significant assay results in 14 out of 19 RC holes. This high success rate continues to indicate that Kamperman has the potential to be a substantial source of high-grade satellite ore for the Mandilla processing plant. A further 2,500-metre follow-up RC program is planned to extend known mineralization at Kamperman beyond the current 350-metre strike length.
Carnilya Gold Project
The Carnilya Hill gold project is situated about 20 kilometers south-southeast of the company's Feysville project and approximately 40 kilometers southeast of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. The project encompasses various tenements – M26/047-049, M26/453 – spanning approximately 2.65 sq. km. Astral holds rights for gold mining, while Mincor Resources NL (ASX:MCR) holds rights to nickel and other minerals.Management Team
Mark Connelly – Non-executive Chairman
Mark Connelly is a mining industry veteran who has held positions of CEO and managing director with several multinational companies across many jurisdictions, including Australia, North America, South America, Africa and Europe. He has a proven track record in deal making and was principally responsible for the merger of Papillon Resources and B2 Gold Corp in October 2014 (value US$570 million), as well as the key person responsible for the merger of Adamus Resources and Endeavour Mining for US$579 million. He is currently the non-executive chair of Calidus Resources, Omnia Metals Group, Alto Metals, Warriedar Resources and Nickel Search.
Marc Ducler – Managing Director
Marc Ducler has more than 20 years of experience in the mining industry. He has held senior operational management roles with GoldFields, BHP, Fortescue Metals, MRL and Roy Hill. He was also the managing director of Egan Street Resources (a gold exploration and development company) until it was acquired by Silver Lake Resources (ASX:SLR).
Peter Stern – Non-executive Director
Peter Stern has experience in corporate advisory, specializing in M&A and capital raising. He has spent six years with Macquarie Bank and three years with UBS and Deutsche Bank. He is a graduate of Monash University with a Bachelor of Science (geology major). Stern is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the chairman of Troy Resources.
David Varcoe – Non-executive Director
David Varcoe is a mining engineer with over three decades of experience. He has extensive operational and managerial experience across various commodities, including gold, iron ore, copper, diamonds, coal, uranium and rare earths. His expertise spans board positions, operations management, project management and consulting. Varcoe is a principal consultant with the leading Australian firm AMC Consulting.
Justin Osborne – Non-executive Director
Justin Osborne is a geologist with over 30 years of experience in exploration. He was previously the executive director at Gold Road Resources (ASX:GOR), where he played a crucial role in developing the world-class Gruyere gold deposit (6.6 Moz gold). Osborne also held senior positions on the exploration executive team at Gold Fields. He was instrumental in developing the Damang Superpit project in Ghana and achieved significant discovery success at the St Ives gold mine.
Brendon Morton – Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary
Brendon Morton has over 20 years of experience, particularly in the global resources sector across Australia, Africa and Asia. He has held several executive financial and company secretarial roles with ASX-listed and unlisted companies in the resources industry.
Jed Whitford – General Manager Business Development and Projects
Jed Whitford is a mining engineer with over 20 years of industry experience. His expertise primarily encompasses gold and base metals operations, having worked with companies such as Western Mining, Gold Fields, Golder Associates, Xstrata and Glencore.
Julie Reid – Geology Manager
Julie Reid has 36 years of experience working across Australia, Vietnam and Indonesia, covering a variety of commodities in diverse geological terrains. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from Curtin University of Technology.
450,000 Oz at 2.9 g/t Au Maiden Gold Resource on the Didievi Project, Cote d’Ivoire
HIGHLIGHTS
- Shallow, high grade, maiden gold resource on the Blaffo Guetto Prospect at the Didievi Project
- Inferred: 4.93Mt for 452koz of gold at 2.9 g/t (1.0 g/t Au cut off)
- Maiden Inferred Resource is only on the Blaffo Guetto Prospect on the Didievi Project and there are numerous other artisanal gold and geochemical prospects on the Project
- Shallow resource area potentially suitable for an open pit mine
- 2,000m diamond drilling program to commence in August 2024 designed to increase the scale of the resource
- Exceptional drilling results from Blaffo Guetto include:
- 10.0m at 123.0g/t gold from 66m including 2.0m at 613.0g/t gold (DRC334);
- 17.4m at 17.0g/t gold from 244m including 1.0m at 216.0g/t gold (DDD0029) (ends in mineralisation);
- 83.3m at 3.3g/t gold from 166.9m including 18.0m at 12.0g/t gold (DDD01) (ends in mineralisation);
- 80.0m at 3.0g/t gold from 0m including 23.0m at 9.5g/t gold (DDD013);
- 37.0m at 7.7g/t gold from 42m including 24.0m at 11.0g/t gold (DRC208) (ends in mineralisation);
- 27.0m at 4.6g/t gold from 46m including 11.0m at 11.1g/t gold (DRC337) (ends in mineralisation); and
- A broad mineralised halo extending from surface of 231.0m at 1.0g/t gold (DDD044) which included:
- 38.0m at 4.1g/t gold from 165m which is within
- 79.0m at 2.2g/t gold from 152m
- Previously announced Exploration Target* on the Blaffo Guetto and Pranoi Prospects of 6.8Mt – 15Mt at a grade of 2.7g/t Au – 3.0 g/t Au for an Exploration Target 596,000 Oz – 1,450,0000 Oz of gold.
Table 1: Didievi Project Maiden Mineral Resource at 1.0 g/t Au cut-off grade
As a result of the successful rights issue in May 2024 raising approximately $1.29m (before costs), the Company engaged Massa Geoservices to design a drilling program on the Blaffo Guetto Prospect aimed at estimating a maiden resource for the Project. In conducting a detailed review of the Company’s database in order to design the drilling program, Massa Geoservices determined that there had been sufficient prior drilling completed to estimate a maiden inferred resource.
The Company is pleased to advise that the Blaffo Guetto Prospect hosts a maiden inferred resource of 452koz of gold at 2.9 g/t (1.0 g/t Au cut-off).
The maiden inferred resource is an initial resource on the Didievi Project. African is commencing a 2,030m diamond drilling campaign on the Blaffo Guetto prospect in August 2024. The program is designed to infill areas not previously drilled on the Project and to increase the resources to achieve a result within the upper range of the previously announced Didievi Project Exploration Target which includes the Blaffo Guetto and Pranoi prospects.
Notably, the area included within the resource envelope is only at the Blaffo Guetto Prospect on the Didievi Project (see Figure 1). The resource envelope is shallow, 250m – 300m maximum depth, and is regarded as potentially suitable for a future open pit mining operation. The Didievi Project has numerous other high prospects including the Kouassi Prospect, which includes previously released intercepts of 13m at 4.03 g/t Au and 3m at 3.53 g/t Au, and the 11km long Poku Trend which includes a high grade 900m long zone grading 0.15 ppm+ gold.
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This article includes content from African Gold Ltd., licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Astral Resources Investor Kit
- Corporate info
- Insights
- Growth strategies
- Upcoming projects