Warriedar Uncovers Visible Gold at Ricciardo, Accelerates Drilling
Warriedar Resources has uncovered an extraordinary visible gold intersection at its Ricciardo deposit, prompting a fast-tracked drilling campaign aimed at expanding this promising high-grade zone.
- Visible gold discovered in diamond drill hole RDRC068 at Ricciardo
- Assays show 2m at 116.3 g/t Au including 0.2m at 1,148 g/t Au
- New high-grade mineralisation style identified outside known zones
- Fast-tracked drilling program underway with four rigs targeting 29,000m
- Warriedar holds A$21.8 million cash post recent equity placement
A Breakthrough at Ricciardo
Warriedar Resources Limited (ASX – WA8) has announced a significant milestone in its exploration of the Ricciardo gold-antimony deposit in Western Australia's Murchison region. For the first time, visible gold has been encountered in diamond drilling at Ricciardo, with assays revealing a remarkable 2 meters grading 116.3 grams per tonne gold, including an ultra-high-grade 0.2-meter interval at 1,148 grams per tonne.
This discovery, made in drill hole RDRC068 at the Ardmore section of the deposit, marks a pivotal development. Visible gold is rare at Ricciardo and suggests the presence of free-milling, high-grade gold mineralisation beyond the previously defined high-grade shoots. The finding opens the door to a new style of mineralisation that could materially enhance the project's economic potential.
Implications for Resource Growth and Processing
Warriedar’s Managing Director Amanda Buckingham highlighted the significance – "The identification of visible gold is always an exciting development in exploration. This could be a game-changer for Ricciardo’s development, indicating zones of high-grade, free-milling gold within primary mineralisation." The discovery hints at multiple mineralisation styles coexisting on the same structural framework, reminiscent of renowned deposits like Fosterville in Victoria.
Importantly, this visible gold interval lies outside the current high-grade resource model, suggesting potential for further resource expansion. Pending assays from additional holes drilled at Ardmore will be critical to confirming the extent and continuity of this new mineralisation style.
Fast-Tracked Drilling to Unlock Potential
In response to these encouraging results, Warriedar has launched a fast-tracked drilling program at Ricciardo. Four rigs, including diamond and reverse circulation (RC) drills, are now operating, targeting approximately 29,000 meters across 105 holes. This aggressive campaign aims to grow the Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), support metallurgical studies, and selectively upgrade the resource, particularly at the Ardmore end.
The company’s strong financial position, with around A$21.8 million in cash following a recent equity placement, underpins this accelerated exploration effort. Concurrent drilling continues across the broader Golden Range Project, reinforcing Warriedar’s commitment to unlocking value across its portfolio.
Context Within the Golden Range Project
Ricciardo sits within Warriedar’s Golden Range Project, a prolific gold and antimony district with a history of mining and exploration. The deposit has seen two recent resource upgrades, doubling the contained gold and establishing Australia’s largest open-pit antimony resource. The new visible gold discovery adds a fresh dimension to Ricciardo’s geological story, potentially enhancing both grade and metallurgical characteristics.
While the discovery is promising, further drilling and assay results are awaited to fully understand the scale and economic implications. The relationship between the visible gold zone and existing mineralisation remains to be clarified, as does the potential impact on processing strategies.
Bottom Line?
Warriedar’s visible gold breakthrough at Ricciardo sets the stage for a potentially transformative resource upgrade, with upcoming assay results and drilling progress poised to shape the project’s next chapter.
Questions in the middle?
- How extensive is the newly identified visible gold mineralisation beyond drill hole RDRC068?
- What metallurgical characteristics will the free-milling gold exhibit, and how might this affect processing costs?
- How will the new mineralisation style integrate with the existing resource model and influence project economics?