Great Boulder Resources has reported significant new gold intersections at its Side Well Project in Western Australia, including a standout 4m at 11.55g/t gold hit 4km north of Ironbark and a 500m extension of the Eaglehawk deposit. These results suggest the project’s mineralisation footprint may be larger than previously understood.
- 4m @ 11.55g/t Au intersection 4km north of Ironbark
- Eaglehawk deposit extended by 500m to over 1.5km strike
- Multiple anomalous gold and pathfinder element results
- Phase 2 air-core drilling underway with assays pending
- Deep diamond drilling commenced targeting high-grade zones
Exploration Breakthrough at Side Well
Great Boulder Resources (ASX, GBR) has delivered a promising update from its flagship Side Well Gold Project near Meekatharra, Western Australia. The company’s recent Phase 1 regional air-core drilling program has uncovered multiple new gold targets, highlighted by a high-grade intersection of 4 metres at 11.55 grams per tonne gold located approximately 4 kilometres north of the Ironbark deposit. This result is particularly notable given the area had not been previously drilled and lacked geochemical anomalies in earlier surveys.
Extending Known Mineralisation
In addition to the new target north of Ironbark, drilling has extended the Eaglehawk deposit by 500 metres to the north, now defining mineralisation over more than 1.5 kilometres of strike. This extension was confirmed by an intersection of 8 metres at 0.67 grams per tonne gold, including 4 metres at 1.19 grams per tonne. The Eaglehawk deposit is a key component of the Side Well Project, which currently hosts a mineral resource estimate of 668,000 ounces at 2.8 grams per tonne gold.
Broader Geological Insights
The drilling program also identified anomalous gold and pathfinder element signatures in a previously untested corridor between the Central and Eastern corridors. These geochemical indicators, including elevated bismuth, arsenic, antimony, tellurium, and silver, suggest a complex mineralisation system that may combine characteristics of both Mulga Bill-style intrusive-related gold and Ironbark-style mineralisation. Such findings open new avenues for exploration within the project area.
Next Steps in Exploration
Following the encouraging Phase 1 results, Great Boulder has commenced Phase 2 air-core drilling, with assays from these holes expected soon. Concurrently, a deep diamond drilling program has started at Eaglehawk, targeting high-grade domains and north-plunging shoots to depths of up to 500 metres. This program is co-funded under the company’s Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) and aims to delineate high-grade zones that could significantly enhance the project’s resource base.
Further drilling is planned at the Flagpole prospect, discovered in 2021 but not recently tested, as well as additional reverse circulation drilling at Eaglehawk to test newly identified mineralisation zones. These efforts underscore Great Boulder’s systematic approach to expanding and upgrading its resource inventory at Side Well.
Strategic Positioning
Great Boulder’s Side Well Project sits within the prolific Meekatharra-Wydgee Greenstone Belt, a well-known gold province with significant exploration potential. The company’s ongoing drilling success and discovery of new targets reinforce the project’s status as a significant high-grade gold system in the region. With a strong technical team and a portfolio of prospective assets, Great Boulder is positioning itself for future growth in Western Australia’s competitive gold exploration landscape.
Bottom Line?
Great Boulder’s latest drilling results at Side Well hint at a larger, richer gold system, setting the stage for resource growth and renewed market interest.
Questions in the middle?
- How will pending assay results from Phase 2 drilling impact the current resource model?
- What is the potential scale and grade of mineralisation in the newly identified corridor between Central and Eastern corridors?
- How might the deep diamond drilling results influence the economic viability of the Eaglehawk deposit?