Western Gold Resources (ASX: WGR) has received approvals for drilling and secured drilling contractors for its resource definition, grade control programme, and exploration programmes at the Gold Duke project in Western Australia.
The programme of works (PoW) from the Department of Energy Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) has now been approved for up to 23,000 metres of drilling at Gold Duke. Drilling is designed to increased resource confidence at the Eagle, Emu, Gold King and Golden Monarch deposits.
Together with results from a recently completed metallurgical and geotechnical diamond drill programme WGR are well placed to complete pit optimisation and mine scheduling on completion of the RC drilling programme.
The Brilliant and Bottom Camp deposits are located on the Brilliant Shear Zone where mineralisation where mineralisation is typically hosted by quartz reefs and quartz stockworks. The drilling aims to follow up on previous drilling intercepts as well as test geochemical and geophysical targets identified by WGR.
The Bottom Camp and Brilliant prospects that currently have inferred resources of 210,000t @ 3.1g/t Au (21,000ozs) and 640,000t @1.6g/t Au (33,000ozs), respectively.
“We are very pleased to receive this key approval from the West Australian Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation, and Safety (DEMIRS),” Managing Director, Warren Thorne, said.
“Upon final heritage clearance, we plan to commence an aggressive drill campaign with the view of sterilisation areas for mining, resource definition and grade control across the four deposits; Emu, Eagle, Gold King and Golden Monarch, that are currently part of a scoping study.
“Drilling at the Brilliant and Bottom Camp prospects intends to explore geochemical anomalies as well as extending on the know mineralisation. The drilling will form the basis for future mining approvals and provide WGR with greater scope to develop the project towards mining.”
