Wiluna Mining Corporation’s concurrent discovery, resource development and grade control drilling programs have delivered high-grade sulphide gold intersections around current mining areas and new targets across the company’s mining operation within WA’s Mid West region. The onslaught of drilling is expected by the company to translate into inventory growth and increased confidence in production forecasts for both volume and grade up until the end of 2023.
Wiluna’s last work with the drill bit ended in May. Two more rigs will be sent to the site later this month to resume the company’s resource development and grade control programs.
The discovery-driven drilling aimed to increase underground ore grade and grow gold production at its operation by testing nine large targets for high-grade sulphide shoots.
The company is targeting analogues to historically mined shoots that reportedly produced about 800,000 ounces of gold at a strong grade of 8 g/t.
A solid array of intercepts were encountered outside the current mineral resource limits, including a 5m hit going 4.97 grams per tonne gold, containing 2.6m at 8.24 g/t gold.
Another hole yielded a 1.7m strike running 3.86 g/t gold, containing 0.7m at 5.66 g/t gold.
The secondary strike builds on previously reported work at two of the large targets in May where Wiluna encountered 9.4m at 4.87 g/t gold including 6.6m at 6.22 g/t, 200m below the mineral resource envelope and another strike of 1.8m at 9.74 g/t gold 400m below the resource.
Notably, the latest assays have demonstrated continuity of sulphide mineralisation to considerable depths below the limits of previous mining and drilling.
Resource development drilling defined high-grade sulphides adjacent to current mining areas with better gold intercepts including 3m at 11.31 g/t and 13m at 9.77 g/t, containing 1.6m at an impressive 40.34 g/t.
The producer’s grade control drilling continued to confirm high-grade sulphide mineralisation in areas within the current 12-month mine schedule, supporting the immediate production profile and ramp-up of sulphide concentrate production.
Significant gold intercepts from the grade control-focused drilling include 8.7m at 11.47 g/t, 13.85m at 4.66 g/t and 14.29m at 11.55 g/t.
Wiluna’s mine is no small affair, with the WA Geological Survey ranking the producer’s operation high on its list of resources in contained gold order. Wiluna is pegged firmly amid renowned operators such as Northern Star Resources, De Grey Mining, AngloGold Ashanti and Goldfields.
The company’s total mineral resource currently is 78.4 million tonnes grading 2.19 g/t gold and containing an impressive 5.5 million ounces of gold.
Wiluna is ramping up to reach full annual commercial production of 110,000 to 120,000 ounces of gold by the end of the year whilst targeting resource growth to reveal what it believes to be the true scale of its mineral system.
In support of its namesake gold operation, Wiluna this month looked for support in the market, attempting to raise up to $84.5 million with a discounted rights issue.
Whilst times are undoubtedly tough for many in the resources industry, it will be interesting to see if Wiluna’s latest round of drill results provides some buoyancy.
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By Matt Birney
