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Astral Resources NL (ASX: AAR) (Astral or the Company) is pleased to report assay results for the first 20 holes for 2,580 metres of a 31-hole (3,834 metre) in-fill and extensional RC drill program at the Kamperman Prospect, part of the 100%-owned Feysville Gold Project (Feysville), located approximately 14km south of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia (Figure 1).
HIGHLIGHTS
- Assay results received for the first 20 holes (2,580 metres) of a 31-hole (3,834 metre) reverse circulation (RC) drill program at Feysville’s Kamperman Prospect, with best results including:
- 12 metres at 7.26g/t Au from 23 metres including 1 metre at 16.5g/t Au from 24 metres and 1 metre at 39.7g/t Au from 27 metres and, further down-hole, 25 metres at 24.3g/t Au from 68 metres, including 1 metre at 28.0g/t Au from 69 metres and 3 metres at 177g/t Au from 74 metres in hole FRC378;
- 12 metres at 1.96g/t Au from 20 metres and 5 metres at 1.25g/t Au from 58 metres in hole FRC377;
- 4 metres at 2.95g/t Au from 61 metres and 11 metres at 0.96g/t Au from 91 metres in hole FRC372; and
- 18 metres at 0.90g/t Au from 25 metres in hole FRC371.
- RC holes FRC377 and FRC378 were designed to in-fill the northern end of the Kamperman prospect while also testing for potential north-plunging mineralisation, as characterised by previous intercepts of 14 metres at 1.44g/t Au from 54 metres in hole FRC304 and 12 metres at 1.99g/t Au from 78 metres in hole FRC341.
- The results from RC holes FRC377 and FRC378 are encouraging, and diamond drilling (DD) is planned in this area to better understand the orientation of the very high-grade zone in hole FRC378.
- Step-out holes to the north and north-east intersected gold mineralisation, demonstrating that Kamperman remains open to the north.
- Further assay results from the Kamperman program are pending.
- The RC rig is currently undertaking a program of several drill holes at Mandilla to determine dewatering requirements as part of the hydrogeological work program for the Mandilla Pre- Feasibility Study (PFS).
- At the Iris Deposit, a program of ten holes for 1,365 metres of in-fill drilling has been completed with a further ten holes remaining to be drilled. At the Eos Deposit, 16 holes for 2,540 metres will be drilled shortly.
- At Mandilla, a DD rig has commenced a four-hole/1,600 metre drill program of four deep in-fill holes ahead of an update to the Theia Mineral Resources Estimate (MRE), which is expected to be reported in the March Quarter, 2025.
Astral Resources’ Managing Director Marc Ducler said: “These latest holes at Kamperman continue to surprise to the upside – showing that there is a potentially very significant high-grade opportunity here that we are yet to unlock.
“Previously, FRC243 returned a very high-grade zone of two metres at 188g/t Au from 77 metres, 40 metres to the north-east. FRC378 has now returned another very high-grade zone of three metres at 177g/t Au from 74 metres.
“Previous diamond drilling that was completed to better understand the potential orientation of this very high-grade zone was not successful; however, given the potential size of the prize, additional work is warranted.
“The extensional drilling completed to the north and north-east has continued to intersect gold mineralisation, albeit the gold grades were of a lower tenor than expected given the quantum of quartz and sulphides logged in the RC chips. Additional RC drilling is planned given the proximity to a north- east trending fault which is potentially controlling the mineralisation or offsetting it.
“It is becoming clear that Kamperman hosts multiple potential controlling structures that warrant further investigation, as does Feysville as a whole.
“The in-fill RC program at Iris is 50% complete. The program is now on hold for approximately three weeks while groundwater testing is undertaken with the RC rig. Once the groundwater program is complete, RC drilling will resume at Iris and Eos.
“Meanwhile, diamond drilling is now underway at Theia with four deep in-fill holes for 1,600 metres planned. These holes are designed to provide the level of confidence required to warrant an upgrade of the Inferred Resources at depth into the Indicated Resource category.”
Figure 1 – Map illustrating the location of the Mandilla and Feysville Gold Projects.
FEYSVILLE GOLD PROJECT
The Feysville Gold Project is located within the north-north-west trending Norseman – Wiluna Greenstone Belt, within the Kambalda Domain of the Archean Yilgarn Craton, approximately 14km south of the KCGM Super Pit in Kalgoorlie.
Significant gold and nickel mineralisation occurs throughout the belt, including 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. The area also hosts the substantial Beta Hunt Gold Mine owned by Westgold Resources Limited (ASX: WGX).
Feysville hosts an MRE of 3Mt at 1.3g/t Au for 116koz2 of contained gold at the Think Big deposit, providing a foundation for the project to potentially become a source of satellite ore feed for a future operation based on Astral’s flagship Mandilla Gold Project.
Locally, Feysville has been interpreted to contain upthrust ultramafics, emplaced within a sequence of volcanic sediments (the Black Flag sediment group), granitic intrusions, mafic basalts, gabbro and andesite. A map of the Feysville Gold Project identifying tenements and deposits/prospects on local area geology is set out in Figure 2.
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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
Investor Insight
Astral Resources presents a compelling investment case as an ASX-listed gold explorer with a 1.46 Moz resource base in Western Australia's premier Kalgoorlie region, anchored by its flagship Mandilla project which demonstrates robust economics with an AU$442 million NPV and 11-year mine life.
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 an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 5.0 Mt at 1.2g/t gold for 196 koz 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 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 a 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 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.
- Updated JORC 2012 mineral resource estimate (MRE) at the Feysville gold project is 5.0Mt at 1.2g/t gold for 196koz of contained gold.
- Including the Mandilla MRE of 37Mt at 1.1g/t gold for 1.27Moz of contained gold, Astral’s total gold MRE is now calculated to be 42Mt at 1.1g/t gold for 1.46Moz of contained gold (Group MRE).
- 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. 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 recently completed a four-hole 1,762-metre in-fill diamond drilling program at the Theia deposit late last year. Best results included: 28 metres at 2.63 g/t gold, 15.5 metres at 1.81 g/t gold, 9.6 metres at 27.6 g/t gold, 2.4 metres at 169.1 g/t gold, 24.9 metres at 4.14 g/t gold and 72.2 metres at 1.15 g/t gold.
Astral has commenced work on a pre-feasibility study at Mandilla, which is due in the June quarter 2025.
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's updated JORC 2012 MRE indicates 5.0 Mt at 1.2 g/t gold for 196 koz of contained gold. Including the Mandilla MRE of 37 Mt at 1.1 g/t gold for 1.27 Moz of contained gold, Astral’s total gold MRE is now calculated to be 42 Mt at 1.1 g/t gold for 1.46 Moz of contained gold (group MRE).
At Feysville, Astral is focusing on the high-grade Kamperman prospect. A recent 31-hole (3,834 m) reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at Kamperman returned encouraging assay results. The latest drilling program returned best assay results of 33 metres at 3.75 g/t gold, 22 metres at 5.21 g/t gold, and 22 metres at 4.44 g/t gold. 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.
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.
Steve Lampron – Technical Services Manager
Steve Lampron is a mining engineer with more than 20 years industry experience. As well as having worked in production roles for companies such as Placer Dome, Barrick and North American Palladium he has also worked as a Consultant for over 10 years.
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.
Gold exploration with highly prospective assets in Western Australia
Sun Summit Minerals: Advancing District-scale Gold and Copper Projects in British Columbia
Sun Summit Minerals (TSXV:SMN,OTCQB:SMREF) is a Canadian mineral exploration company advancing district-scale gold and copper projects in British Columbia. Its flagship JD Project, located in the prolific Toodoggone district, is the focus of an aggressive 5,000-meter drill program in 2025 targeting a potential multi-million-ounce epithermal gold-silver system.
With funding in place, a five-year exploration permit secured, and an on-site camp established, Sun Summit is executing a disciplined strategy to build scale, unlock resource value, and deliver returns to shareholders. Reinvigorated by a revamped leadership team and a refined vision, the company is leveraging high-grade, strategically located assets to drive long-term growth.
The JD and Theory projects cover over 25,000 hectares in the heart of British Columbia’s Toodoggone mining district, one of Canada’s most prospective regions for epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold systems. The district hosts several significant deposits, including Thesis Gold’s Ranch and Lawyers projects (4.7 Moz gold equivalent, ~C$250 million market cap), Centerra Gold’s Kemess underground development, and TDG Gold’s Shasta-Baker project. The area is well supported by infrastructure, including hydroelectric grid access, all-season roads, and the nearby Sturdee airstrip.
Company Highlights
- Aggressive Discovery Strategy: Sun Summit Minerals is actively advancing the JD and Buck projects in BC, targeting epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold systems. A fully funded 5,000-meter drill program at JD underway in 2025, aiming to define a multi-million-ounce resource.
- Strategic Location: Both assets are situated in prolific and mining-friendly regions of British Columbia. The flagship JD project lies in the Toodoggone district—home to Thesis Gold and Centerra’s Kemess Mine, while Buck is near the Blackwater, Huckleberry, and Equity Silver mines in central BC.
- Re-rate Potential Opportunity: Trading at just ~$7/oz gold equivalent (EV/oz) based on Buck alone, with no value currently ascribed to JD, the company represents a deep value opportunity compared to the next-door neighbour Thesis Gold trading at ~$50/oz. Success at the drill bit from the ongoing drill program at JD could drive the potential re-rating.
- Fully Funded for 2025: A recent C$10M raise (May 2025) enables a robust exploration program, including drilling, geophysics, and soil sampling. The company is well-positioned to achieve its 2025 and 2026 exploration milestones without further dilution.
- Experienced, Capital Markets-Savvy Leadership: CEO Niel Marotta brings capital markets acumen from Fidelity and Orezone. The broader team includes senior geologists and advisors with decades of success in gold discoveries and mine development in BC.
- Positioned for Consolidation: With majors like Freeport, Centerra, and Skeena investing heavily in adjacent properties, Sun Summit is strategically located and advancing at the right time in the Lassonde Curve to benefit from industry-wide M&A and consolidation trends.
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Sun Summit Minerals
Investor Insight
Sun Summit Minerals is targeting the delineation of a multi-million-ounce gold-silver resource at its flagship JD project. With strategic positioning in an emerging consolidation hotspot, compelling valuation metrics, and a track record of discovery, Sun Summit is primed to deliver substantial value creation in the coming quarters.
Overview
Sun Summit Minerals (TSXV:SMN,OTCQB:SMREF) is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on developing its district-scale gold and copper projects in British Columbia. The company’s flagship JD Project, located in the Toodoggone district, is undergoing an aggressive 5,000-meter drill campaign in 2025 aimed at delineating a multi-million-ounce epithermal gold-silver system.
Complementing JD is the company’s Buck project, a large, bulk-tonnage gold-silver system near Houston, BC, with an initial NI 43-101 resource estimate and significant exploration upside.
With capital in hand, a five-year exploration permit secured, and a camp established at JD, Sun Summit is executing a focused strategy to build scale, unlock resource potential and drive shareholder value. The company has taken lessons from its past and re-emerged with a sharpened vision, an overhauled team and assets that are not only high-grade but strategically located to create shareholder value.
Company Highlights
- Aggressive Discovery Strategy: Sun Summit Minerals is actively advancing the JD and Buck projects in BC, targeting epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold systems. A fully funded 5,000-meter drill program at JD underway in 2025, aiming to define a multi-million-ounce resource.
- Strategic Location: Both assets are situated in prolific and mining-friendly regions of British Columbia. The flagship JD project lies in the Toodoggone district—home to Thesis Gold and Centerra’s Kemess Mine, while Buck is near the Blackwater, Huckleberry, and Equity Silver mines in central BC.
- Re-rate Potential Opportunity: Trading at just ~$7/oz gold equivalent (EV/oz) based on Buck alone, with no value currently ascribed to JD, the company represents a deep value opportunity compared to the next-door neighbour Thesis Gold trading at ~$50/oz. Success at the drill bit from the ongoing drill program at JD could drive the potential re-rating.
- Fully Funded for 2025: A recent C$10M raise (May 2025) enables a robust exploration program, including drilling, geophysics, and soil sampling. The company is well-positioned to achieve its 2025 and 2026 exploration milestones without further dilution.
- Experienced, Capital Markets-Savvy Leadership: CEO Niel Marotta brings capital markets acumen from Fidelity and Orezone. The broader team includes senior geologists and advisors with decades of success in gold discoveries and mine development in BC.
- Positioned for Consolidation: With majors like Freeport, Centerra, and Skeena investing heavily in adjacent properties, Sun Summit is strategically located and advancing at the right time in the Lassonde Curve to benefit from industry-wide M&A and consolidation trends.
Key Projects
JD & Theory Projects
The JD & Theory projects span more than 25,000 hectares in the heart of the Toodoggone mining district in north-central BC, one of Canada’s most prospective belts for epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold systems. The district is home to Thesis Gold’s Ranch and Lawyers deposits (4.7 Moz gold equivalent, C$250 million market cap), Centerra’s Kemess underground development, and TDG Gold’s Shasta-Baker project. Infrastructure around the project includes hydroelectric grid access, the nearby Sturdee airstrip and all-season roads.
The JD project hosts a 4.5 km mineralized corridor, known as Creek-Finn, with multiple underexplored targets showing evidence of both high-grade veins and broad disseminated gold systems. Historic and recent drill highlights include:
- 2.1 grams per ton (g/t) gold over 122.5 m including 121 g/t gold over 1.5 m (CZ-24-004)
- 11.7 g/t gold over 22 m including 61.2 g/t gold over 4 m (CZ97-008)
- 7.3 g/t gold over 35.7 m including 215.4 g/t gold over 1 m (JD95-0472)
The Creek Zone features high-grade epithermal veins within broader disseminated zones, supported by strong IP anomalies and gold-in-soil results up to 12.2 g/t gold. The Finn Zone hosts near-surface mineralization with extensive historical drilling (~270 holes) and is open in all directions. Other targets include McClair (porphyry copper), East McClair (copper-gold skarn) and Moosehorn.
The 2025 program includes 5,000 meters of core drilling across 25 holes, 20 km of IP geophysics, 2,000+ soil samples, and full-scale camp operations. A five-year permit secured in April 2025 provides exploration continuity through 2030.
Camp setup at JD project
Sun Summit can earn 100 percent of the JD project by making staged cash/share payments and completing work commitments through 2029. With ~C$6 million earmarked for the project this year alone, Sun Summit is expected to fulfill its 2025 and 2026 earn-in obligations without additional equity raises.
Buck Project
The 100 percent owned Buck project spans 52,000 hectares and is located near key deposits, including Artemis Gold’s Blackwater (8 Moz gold), Imperial’s Huckleberry copper mine, and Newmont’s historic Equity Silver mine. Buck features near-surface bulk-tonnage gold-silver mineralization with porphyry copper-molybdenum potential at depth.
In February 2025, Sun Summit published its inaugural NI 43-101 mineral resource:
- Indicated: 1.15 Mt @ 0.519 g/t gold equivalent (19,100 oz)
- Inferred: 52.2 Mt @ 0.489 g/t gold equivalent (820,400 oz)
Mineralization remains open in all directions. Buck is considered a strategic asset providing leverage to rising gold prices and future transaction potential, but currently receives minimal capital allocation as JD is prioritized.
Management Team
Niel Marotta – Chief Executive Officer and Director
Niel Marotta has more than two decades of capital markets experience, including a successful tenure at Fidelity (FMRCo.), where he managed the top-performing Select Gold Fund and oversaw >$1 billion in AUM. He was previously VP at Orezone Resources, where he helped lead its C$350 million acquisition by IAMGOLD. Marotta has raised over $1 billion in financing and is driving Sun Summit’s transition from a legacy explorer to a discovery-focused value generator.
Brian Lock – Executive Chairman
A veteran of the mining industry with 40+ years of executive experience, Brian Lock has led multiple public companies, including Castle Peak Mining and Scorpio Gold. His expertise spans project development, M&A and corporate governance.
Waseem Javed – Chief Financial Officer
A seasoned mining CFO, Waseem Javed ensures disciplined capital deployment and financial controls. His experience spans junior explorers and mid-tier producers across Canada and the US.
Ken MacDonald – VP Exploration
Ken MacDonald is a registered professional geologist with over 30 years in mineral exploration and permitting in BC. Formerly with the BC Mines Branch and multiple juniors, he leads Sun Summit’s technical programs and NI 43-101 compliance.
Christopher Leslie – Technical Advisor
An expert in porphyry and epithermal systems, Christopher Leslie led the discovery of the 8 Moz Blackwater deposit while at Richfield Ventures, and later served as VP exploration for Tower Resources. He was instrumental in advancing the JD-Theory project during its prior ownership.
Robert D. Willis – Senior Advisor
Founder of several successful exploration companies, including Pioneer Metals and Manhattan Minerals, Robert Willis has 35+ years of technical and executive experience across North and South America.
Terry Salman – Strategic Advisor
Founder of Salman Partners and one of Canada’s most influential mining financiers, Terry Salman has backed dozens of successful juniors over a 40-year career in mining investment banking.
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