St Barbara Uncovers High-Grade Gold Below Samat and Sorowar Pits in PNG
St Barbara Limited has reported significant high-grade gold intercepts from its FY25 drilling program at Simberi Operations, revealing promising sulphide mineralisation beneath existing open pit reserves. With assay results pending for 20 more holes, the company anticipates further resource upgrades.
- 61-hole, 10,463.5m FY25 drilling program completed at Simberi Operations
- High-grade gold intercepts below Samat and Sorowar open pit sulphide Ore Reserves
- Notable results include 17m @ 4.2 g/t Au at Samat and 8m @ 18.9 g/t Au at Sorowar
- Assay results pending for 20 additional diamond drill holes
- Drilling targets multiple zones including Pigibo North and Pigicow-Botlu
Drilling Delivers Encouraging Results
St Barbara Limited (ASX – SBM) has released assay results from 11 diamond drill holes as part of its FY25 resource definition, exploration, and sterilisation drilling program at the Simberi Operations in Papua New Guinea. The program, which completed 61 holes totaling over 10,400 metres, has intersected significant high-grade gold mineralisation immediately below the existing sulphide Ore Reserves at both the Samat deposit and the Sorowar-Pigiput Trend.
Among the standout intercepts are 17 metres at 4.2 grams per tonne gold from 53 metres depth at Samat, including a higher-grade 6 metres at 6.4 grams per tonne, and an 8-metre intercept at 18.9 grams per tonne from 54 metres at Sorowar, which includes an exceptional 3 metres at 45.9 grams per tonne. These results extend the known mineralisation beyond the reach of historical oxide-focused drilling, highlighting the potential for additional sulphide resources.
Expanding the Resource Base
The Samat deposit, historically mined for its high-grade oxide gold, had limited diamond drilling targeting sulphides. The recent drilling has filled this gap, revealing mineralisation 10 to 30 metres below the current open pit limits. Similarly, the Sorowar-Pigiput Trend drilling has confirmed high-grade zones immediately beneath the existing pit designs, suggesting potential for resource expansion.
Beyond these core areas, the program also included exploration and sterilisation drilling across five additional zones such as Pigibo North, Pigicow-Botlu, and Pigiput Northeast Trend. These efforts aim to both identify new mineralisation and delineate areas suitable for waste rock storage, critical for mine planning.
Looking Ahead
While assay results for 11 holes have been reported, results remain pending for 20 more drill holes, including 10 from Samat and others from various exploration targets. St Barbara’s Managing Director Andrew Strelein expressed optimism about the potential to define further high-grade sulphide resources, particularly at Samat where historical drilling was sparse.
The company expects most of the remaining assay results to be returned in the September quarter, which will provide a clearer picture of the resource potential and inform future drilling plans. The FY25 program’s comprehensive approach, combining resource definition with exploration and sterilisation drilling, positions St Barbara well to optimise mine life and capital allocation at Simberi.
Overall, these drilling results reinforce Simberi’s status as a significant gold asset in Papua New Guinea, with promising indications that the sulphide resources beneath existing pits could materially enhance the mine’s value.
Bottom Line?
As assay results continue to flow, St Barbara’s Simberi project may be on the cusp of a resource upgrade that could reshape its mining strategy.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the pending assay results impact the overall resource estimate at Simberi?
- What are the implications of the sulphide mineralisation for future mine planning and processing?
- Could the exploration zones beyond Samat and Sorowar yield new high-grade discoveries?
