Octava Minerals has wound-up drilling at its Yallalong antimony project in Western Australia's Gascoyne region, confirming visual signs of antimony mineralisation and unlocking the next phase of drilling to follow assay results, which are expected early next year.
The company completed 41 reverse circulation (RC) drill holes for a total of 2748m across its Discovery and Central antimony targets.
Thirty-five holes are focused on extending the known mineralisation at Discovery ahead of establishing an initial resource, while a further six exploratory holes mark the first drilling to test the promising Central prospect.
Octava's geological team says it observed promising signs of antimony mineralisation in multiple samples at Discovery and is is now eagerly awaiting the all-important assays to confirm its hopes.
Previous historical drilling at Discovery returned some stellar high-grade antimony hits, including a 7m hit grading a significant 3.27 per cent antimony from 12m. This included 1m going 11.5 per cent antimony from 18m and a 3m slice at 6.83 per cent antimony from 21m, including 1m at 13.6 per cent from 22m.
Octava Minerals managing director Bevan Wakelam said: “Following the interpretation of new gravity data recently announced, we are busy planning the drilling of 14 additional high priority antimony targets. The new gravity data redefines the exploration model for high grade antimony at Yallalong. It is exciting to consider the possibility of a continuous system extending under cover for more than 10km.”
The Yallalong project sits in a newly-identified 10km mineralised corridor, interpreted to be structurally linked to the Darling and Woodrarung faults.
Octava’s recent detailed gravity geophysical survey has redefined the exploration model, identifying 14 high-priority antimony targets along the trend bearing strong structural similarities to the Discovery prospect.
The company says the high-grade antimony mineralisation at Discovery and its three other historically defined companion targets appear to correlate with multiple northwest-southeast shear sets.
The highlighted structures offset the north-south trending stratigraphy, with linear faults set about 750m apart that might host deposit sites of more than 10km.
The company is planning further drilling campaigns across these new targets, with heritage approvals expected to clear the path for systematic exploration in the new year.
Octava’s recently renewed focus on antimony - a critical mineral vital for defence, energy storage and flame-retardant technologies - comes as China restricts the exports of the mineral, driving prices to all-time highs of more than US$37,500 (A$59,000) per tonne.
The Yallalong drilling program places Octava in a strong position to define an initial resource at Discovery with an eye to stage two drilling following heritage approvals in the first half of next year.
Positive assay results and proof of the company’s new geological concepts could spell the potential of an emerging 10km mineralised corridor and a new critical minerals region for Octava at Yallalong.
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By Andrew Todd
