Leeuwin Metals has confirmed extensive shallow, high-grade gold mineralisation across a 1.6km trend at its Evanston Prospect within the Marda Gold Project, Western Australia, setting the stage for a busy exploration season.
- Shallow, high-grade gold mineralisation confirmed over 1.6km at Evanston
- Significant unmined historical drill intercepts identified
- High-grade rock chip assays up to 28.6g/t Au from pit walls
- Drill planning underway for Evanston and other prospects in 2025
- Assay results from Marda Central expected in May 2025
Exploration Breakthrough at Evanston
Leeuwin Metals Ltd (ASX: LM1) has announced a significant milestone in its exploration efforts at the Marda Gold Project in Western Australia. A detailed review of historical drilling data combined with recent rock chip sampling has confirmed the presence of shallow, high-grade gold mineralisation extending over a 1.6-kilometre strike at the Evanston Prospect. This discovery highlights the prospect as a priority target within Leeuwin’s 100% owned portfolio.
The Evanston area, historically mined through four small open pits between 1998 and 2000, had seen limited modern exploration until now. The company’s review revealed numerous substantial unmined drill intercepts, including standout results such as 3.6 metres at 16.4 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from just 1 metre depth, and 13 metres at 4.38 g/t gold from 4 metres depth. These intercepts suggest that significant gold mineralisation remains open along strike and at depth, offering promising upside potential.
Supporting Evidence from Rock Chip Sampling
Complementing the drilling data, Leeuwin’s field inspection and rock chip sampling of pit walls at Evanston returned multiple high-grade assays, including an impressive 28.6 g/t gold sample. Other notable assays included 15.9 g/t and 8.88 g/t gold, reinforcing the presence of rich mineralisation within and around the historical pits. While these samples are selective and not representative of the entire mineralised zone, they provide strong confidence in the prospect’s potential for resource expansion.
Strategic Exploration Plans and Project Context
With these encouraging results, Leeuwin Metals is advancing drill planning for Evanston as part of its 2025 exploration program. The company aims to target extensions of known mineralised zones and explore structurally controlled mineralisation beyond the existing pit margins. Alongside Evanston, other regional targets such as Golden Orb and King Brown are under review to build a pipeline of high-priority prospects.
Assays from the Phase 1 drilling program at Marda Central are expected imminently, with follow-up drilling scheduled to commence shortly thereafter. The Marda Gold Project benefits from a large, data-rich tenement package spanning 70 kilometres of greenstone belt, proximity to infrastructure, and a history of recent production by Ramelius Resources, which mined 143,000 ounces of gold between 2019 and 2023.
Navigating Tenure and Regulatory Landscape
The project’s tenure is largely secure, with most tenements 100% owned by Leeuwin Metals. However, some exploration leases are pending and overlap with national park areas, and a native title claim remains under Federal Court review. These factors underscore the importance of ongoing regulatory engagement as Leeuwin advances its exploration and development plans.
Executive Chairman Christopher Piggott emphasised the company’s confidence in the project’s upside, noting the extensive shallow mineralisation and the strong newsflow anticipated from upcoming assay results and drilling activities. The combination of historical data, recent sampling, and modern exploration techniques positions Leeuwin Metals well to unlock value at Marda.
Bottom Line?
With high-grade gold mineralisation confirmed and drilling imminent, Leeuwin Metals is poised to reshape the Marda Gold Project’s future.
Questions in the middle?
- How will upcoming assay results from Marda Central influence Leeuwin’s resource estimates?
- What impact might the unresolved native title claim have on exploration timelines?
- Can Leeuwin Metals extend mineralisation beyond the 1.6km Evanston trend with new drilling?