Untested Gold Zones at Yardilla Pose Both Opportunity and Exploration Risk for Cullen
Cullen Resources has identified significant, untested gold anomalies across a 25km trend at its Yardilla project in Western Australia, highlighting promising prospects for future drilling campaigns.
- Significant gold-in-calcrete soil anomalies at Lila and Cleanthes prospects
- Historical drilling intersected multiple gold zones, some exceeding 1g/t Au
- Untested anomalies at Lila West and Ten Mile Rocks present new exploration opportunities
- Geological setting analogous to the Tropicana gold deposit
- Project area accessible with approvals progressing for exploration
Emerging Gold Potential at Yardilla
Cullen Resources Limited has revealed compelling exploration upside at its Yardilla project, located approximately 90km east of Norseman in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields. The company’s recent review of historical data has identified a series of significant gold anomalies stretching over a 25-kilometre target trend, anchored by the Lila and Cleanthes prospects.
These prospects are defined by gold-in-calcrete soil anomalies with values ranging from 14 to 86 parts per billion (ppb) gold, derived from systematic, high-standard exploration conducted by previous operators. Notably, the Lila and Cleanthes zones have been subject to shallow RAB drilling, which intersected multiple gold-bearing zones, including several assays exceeding 1 gram per tonne (g/t) gold, alongside anomalous copper, silver, and tungsten.
Untapped Targets and Geological Analogies
Beyond these well-defined prospects, Cullen has highlighted two additional targets, Lila West and Ten Mile Rocks, that remain entirely untested by drilling. Historical geochemical surveys employing Mobile Metal Ion (MMI) and Bulk Leach Extractable Gold (BLEG) techniques have delineated gold anomalies at these sites, suggesting the presence of mineralisation yet to be explored.
The geological framework of the Yardilla project is particularly encouraging. The anomalies align along imbricate thrust sheets and cross-cutting faults at the boundary between Proterozoic and Archaean terrains. This structural setting closely mirrors that of the Tropicana gold deposit, a major discovery in Western Australia, which serves as a conceptual model for Cullen’s exploration strategy. The Tropicana model involves stacked ore zones associated with thrust faulting and reworked Archaean stratigraphy, conditions that appear to be replicated at Yardilla.
Strategic Land Position and Exploration Outlook
Cullen’s landholding strategy consolidates approximately 325 square kilometres through a combination of an option to acquire a 90% interest in Exploration Licence Application E63/2463 and a 100% owned adjoining application E63/2487. The project benefits from excellent access via a network of established tracks and proximity to the Eyre Highway, facilitating efficient exploration logistics.
With tenement approvals underway, Cullen plans to advance exploration with reconnaissance rock and soil sampling, followed by aircore (AC) and reverse circulation (RC) drilling to test the identified targets. The company’s Managing Director, Dr. Chris Ringrose, emphasises the potential for these targets to yield significant discoveries, given the shallow nature of previous drilling and the extensive strike length of the anomalies.
Historical Data Underpins Future Potential
The Yardilla project’s historical exploration pedigree includes work by Sipa Exploration NL, Newmont Exploration Australia, and Goldfields Australasia, among others. These efforts encompassed detailed geochemical sampling, airborne magnetics, and ground gravity surveys, which collectively underpin the current target generation. Cullen’s integration and reinterpretation of this data have sharpened the focus on priority zones for follow-up.
While the historical data provides a strong foundation, it is important to note that much of the mineralisation remains untested at depth and along strike. The upcoming drilling programs will be critical in validating the presence and extent of economic gold mineralisation and in refining the geological model.
Bottom Line?
As Cullen Resources prepares to drill its promising Yardilla targets, the market will be watching closely for confirmation of gold mineralisation that could reshape exploration prospects in this underexplored region.
Questions in the middle?
- What are the timelines and budget for Cullen’s planned drilling campaigns at Yardilla?
- How might the Tropicana model specifically guide target prioritisation and drilling depth?
- What are the potential challenges in converting these soil anomalies into a defined gold resource?