Rock Chips Hit Up to 209 g/t Gold in Leeuwin’s Marda Project

Fresh Eyes on a Historic Gold Belt

Leeuwin Metals Ltd (ASX, LM1) has breathed new life into the Marda Gold Project in Western Australia with the discovery of multiple high-grade gold trends. Following its acquisition of the project earlier this year, the company undertook detailed rock chip sampling of historical workings, revealing assays as high as 209 grams per tonne (g/t) gold. This marks a significant departure from previous exploration efforts, which largely focused on east–west banded iron formation (BIF) mineralisation.

Unveiling Underexplored Structural Corridors

The standout feature of Leeuwin’s recent work is the identification of 11 new structural trends striking north–north-west, hosting high-grade quartz vein mineralisation. These trends have been largely overlooked by past explorers because their orientation meant historical drilling was often parallel rather than perpendicular to the mineralised structures, leaving much of the corridor untested. The rock chip results, including multiple samples exceeding 20 g/t gold, suggest a robust and extensive high-grade system that could materially expand the project’s resource potential.

Strategic Follow-Up and Drilling Plans

Leeuwin is moving swiftly to capitalise on these findings. A systematic follow-up program involving surface mapping and air core drilling is planned for the fourth quarter of 2025 to better define these newly identified trends. Meanwhile, a 5,000-metre reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign at the Evanston prospect is scheduled to commence in early September. This program aims to test extensions of historically mined shallow high-grade mineralisation and nearby underexplored zones, potentially unlocking near-term resource growth.

Additional Opportunities in Historical Tailings

Beyond fresh rock chip sampling, Leeuwin has also identified encouraging gold grades in historical tailings near the Atkinson Find workings, with assays up to 1.36 g/t gold in surface samples. While lower grade than the vein systems, these tailings represent a near-surface, easily accessible target that could complement future mining operations if further sampling confirms their extent and grade.

Positioned for Growth in a Proven Gold District

The Marda Gold Project benefits from granted mining leases and proximity to infrastructure, including processing facilities and transport links. Previous operators, notably Ramelius Resources, produced over 140,000 ounces of gold from shallow open pits between 2019 and 2023. Leeuwin’s discoveries of new structural corridors and high-grade mineralisation styles add a compelling new dimension to the project’s exploration upside, potentially setting the stage for a significant resource upgrade in the second half of 2025.

Executive Chairman Christopher Piggott emphasised the importance of returning to first principles in exploration, noting that the company’s fresh approach has uncovered a high-grade system in a previously untested orientation. With multiple work streams advancing through the remainder of the year, Leeuwin Metals is positioning itself to unlock substantial value from this underexplored gold belt.