Matt Birney

Wiluna Mining continues to hit paydirt, with the most recent results from drilling across its namesake operation in WA delivering a multitude of gold-rich intercepts including 34 metres at 4.88 grams per tonne gold and 13.37m at 7.03 g/t gold. The sampling of historic drill core has also turned up some intriguing results including intercepts grading over 10 g/t gold.

Hot Chili’s recently commenced 40,000-metre drilling campaign across its Costa Fuego project in northern Chile has posted an uber-impressive 382 metre copper intercept at its Cortadera porphyry deposit, which includes 80m at 0.6 per cent copper and 0.2 grams per tonne gold from 524m down-hole. The company already has two rigs running 24-7 and is set to add a third in the coming weeks.

Adriatic Metals has piled on the polymetallic drill hits at its historic Raska project in Serbia, with both the Kizevak and Sastavci deposits continuing to cough up broad intersections of near-surface, high-grade polymetallic mineralisation. One of the stand-out assay results at Kizevak was 38m at 2.7 per cent zinc, 2.2 per cent lead, 30 g/t silver and 0.6 g/t gold from 100m.

Kingwest has landed another solid set of gold hits in its last dozen drill holes for 2020 at the Pericles deposit within the Lady Shenton System at its Menzies gold project in WA. Amongst the numbers was an intercept of 6m at 1.49 g/t gold from 214m downhole, a whopping 80m deeper than any previous drilling, whilst other shallower intercepts recorded grades up to 8.35 g/t.

Native Mineral Resources has rolled up its sleeves in the hunt for high-grade gold at its Music Well project in WA. A detailed review and interpretation of the exploration datasets covering the company’s tenure has uncovered several high-priority geophysical targets, with rock chipping over the key prospect areas returning assays of over 30 grams per tonne gold.

Venus Metals continues to uncover fresh precious metal targets across the Youanmi terrane in WA. A detailed evaluation of the company’s comprehensive geophysical and geochemical datasets has highlighted a trio of Julimar-style nickel-copper-PGE targets in the southern Youanmi tenement area, with historical drilling returning assays of up to 2.18 grams per tonne platinum and palladium.

Podium Minerals continues to extend its Park Reef discovery in WA, with its maiden drilling program across the eastern extensions of the deposit returning a wealth of PGM mineralisation. Systematic drilling has delivered a bounty of precious metal intercepts including 12 metres at 2.56 grams per tonne 3PGMs from 33m and 21m at 1.47 g/t 3PGMs from 103m down-hole.

ASX-listed Vietnam base metals player, Blackstone Minerals has taken a significant initial step in its quest to produce downstream nickel, receiving a non-binding letter of interest from global commodity trading giant, Trafigura. Perth-based Blackstone hopes to upscale its proposed downstream refining operation and become a significant global supplier of downstream nickel products for the lithium-ion battery industry.

Dampier Gold has backed up previous exploration success at its Credo project, revealing the results of a comprehensive soil sampling program which has delineated a “high-grade”, north-west trending gold corridor cross-cutting the company’s tenure and already hosting two high-grade gold resources. The company looks well placed to continue its run of success in the Eastern Goldfields of WA when drilling kicks off again in the coming weeks.