Solara Minerals has identified significant gold potential at its recently acquired Wilgeena gold project in Western Australia’s Murchison region, 15 kilometres southeast of Westgold Resources’ 481,000-ounce Peak Hill gold mine and 15km south of Catalyst Metals’ Hermes deposit, which historically produced 65,000 ounces of gold and still retains a 243,000-ounce resource.
The Wilgeena project, acquired in July, also lies 1.5km south of the 114,000-ounce Hermes South deposit. The deposit is hosted within a structural trend that extends into Solara’s two non-contiguous Wilgeena exploration licences, separated by only 1.6km and enclosing a total of 52.7 square kilometres.
The two tenements are part of a more extensive acquisition of seven exploration licences picked up when Solara entered into a binding agreement to buy all of the issued share capital of OD4 Tom Price.
OD4 holds a full interest in seven highly prospective granted exploration licences covering 310 square kilometres in the Bryah Basin between 50km-150km north of MeekatharrA comprehensive review of historical data has pinpointed multiple gold and copper targets warranting further exploration.
Shallow air core drilling by previous operators, including Sandfire Resources and Independence Group, returned high-grade intercepts such as 5m at 1.98 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 65m, 5m at 1.58g/t gold from 65m and 2m at 1.90g/t gold in the Naracoota Volcanics, yet those results saw little follow-up.
The Churchill prospect on the Wilgeena West ground delivered an untested 5m intercept assaying at 1.03g/t gold from 55m.
Solara’s analysis, supported by consultants Jigsaw Geoscience’ 2011-2012 mapping, highlights recumbent folding and fault intersections in the Peak Hill schists.
A strong, versatile time domain and moving loop electromagnetic (VTEM/MLEM) conductor in the north of Wilgeena West, near Hermes South, points to a potential fold-hinge with mineralisation potential.
Historical geophysical surveys, including VTEM, ground magnetic, MLEM and gravity surveys identified conductive and gravity anomalies, some of which resemble those noted at Hermes South.
Drilling averaged less than 80m for air core and up to 350m for six reverse circulation holes and focused on copper-rich volcanogenic massive sulphide targets or on the Karalundi/Naracoota contact, leaving the gold potential largely unexplored.
Two untested gravity anomalies and a northern VTEM conductor, located 1.6km from shallow drill lines, further enhance the project’s prospectivity.
The Wilgeena tenements, previously part of Alchemy Resources’ Three Rivers project, were subject to earn-in agreements with Northern Star, Independence Group and Sandfire, with the latter exiting in 2024.
Historical soil and rock chip sampling revealed low to moderate gold anomalism, but the method’s reliability remains in question due to transported cover.
Solara plans to undertake ultra-fine fraction soil sampling to better define the northeast-trending mineralisation, particularly within the Wilgeena East ground, where shallow drilling has hit 2m going 1.9g/t gold.
The company has already mobilised to site to assess high-priority targets and is also negotiating a heritage agreement with the region’s Jidi Jidi Aboriginal Corporation. It is also reviewing additional MLEM data from Alchemy and heritage surveys from Sandfire to refine exploration plans.
Fieldwork is slated to begin soon and will focus on structural targets at the Karalundi-Peak Hill schist contact in the north, aiming to unlock the project’s gold and copper potential.
The Wilgeena project’s proximity to significant established gold deposits and its underexplored high-grade intercepts position Solara to capitalise on one of WA’s best-known goldfields.
With its strategic approach to evaluating historical data and targeted fieldwork, the company is poised to rapidly advance its exploration efforts.
Solara Minerals’ Wilgeena project signals exciting potential in a proven copper-gold region, setting the stage for one or more potentially significant discoveries in one of WA’s most prospective regions.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au
By Doug Bright
