Ora Banda spies resource boost at WA deposit

Ora Banda Mining is on track to deliver an updated mineral resource estimate at its Riverina gold system near Kalgoorlie this month after positive results from phase 1 drilling at the site.

Assay highlights from drilling at the company’s Main Lode East prospect showed some impressive grades including a 2m hit at 49.8 grams per tonne gold from 163m.

Additional results from Main Lode East showed another 2m hit going 20.2 g/t gold from 276m containing 1.5m at 27.53 g/t gold from 276.6m. Ora Banda also hit a 3.6m intercept reading 10.4 g/t gold from 210m including an 0.5m hit at an impressive 70.38 g/t gold from 213m.

Exploration at Main Lode West also returned impressive results including 3.7m grading 26.9 g/t from 98.7m in addition to a 2.8m intercept at 16.8 g/t gold from 193.1m containing 2.2m reading 21.01 g/t gold from 193.7m. The company also recorded a 4.1m section going 9.3 g/t gold from 285m including 3.5m at 10.67 g/t gold from 285m in addition to 6.3m grading 5.9 g/t gold from 225m including 3.5m at 9.55 g/t gold from 226m.

The company’s Murchison Lode also produced some impressive figures including 0.3m at a whopping 74 g/t gold from 197.5m. Additional highlights show a 4m hit at 39 g/t gold from 163.8m including 3.8m going 41.3 g/t gold from 163.8m. The Murchison Lode also produced some wider hits with an 8.8m intercept going 4.9 g/t gold from 191m including 5.8m at 6.8 g/t gold from 194m.

A phase 2 diamond drilling program is expected to take place next month with the Riverina mineralised system remaining open at depth.

Ora Banda Mining Managing Director, Luke Creagh said: “We continue to be impressed from the results of the phase 1 drilling program at Riverina. Each set of results has improved and extended the mineralisation, as well as giving us a greater understanding of the potential as a high-grade and multi-lode underground mine.”

Last year the company announced a strategic reset after a detailed review of its flagship Davyhurst mining and processing operations, about 120km north-west of Kalgoorlie.

Part of the new strategy for the company includes developing the Riverina underground complex based on the existing infrastructure in the area and the potential to simply develop a mine portal from the current open pit. Ore from Riverina has been processed at Davyhurst with recoveries of around 92 per cent.

A decision to mine the Riverina system is predicted for the second half of the 2023 financial year that could potentially put the company on the path to increase its gold production. In December Ora Banda doubled the depth of the known mineralisation at Riverina from 240m to 480m.

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