What Nuggety Gold Means for Redcastle Reef’s Mining Plans
Redcastle Resources has reported further high-grade and broad gold intercepts from its ongoing drilling at Redcastle Reef, reinforcing confidence in the deposit's geological continuity and supporting near-term mine planning.
- Multiple broad high-grade gold intercepts from recent drilling
- Exceptional assay of 1m at 344 g/t gold highlighting nuggety gold nature
- Grade control drilling approximately 50% complete on 8m x 6m grid
- Results validate existing mineral resource model and mine scheduling
- Future resource estimate updates pending full assay dataset
Strong Gold Intercepts Reinforce Redcastle Reef Potential
Redcastle Resources Limited (ASX, RC1) has released a new tranche of assay results from its ongoing grade control reverse circulation drilling program at the Redcastle Reef deposit in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields. The latest batch of sixteen drillholes has delivered multiple broad intercepts of high-grade gold, including standout results such as 17 metres at 2.21 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 16 metres at 3.24 g/t gold, with individual one-metre intervals reaching up to 35.7 g/t.
One particularly exceptional assay returned 1 metre at 344 g/t gold, a figure indicative of the deposit's known 'nuggety' gold character. This phenomenon, where coarse gold particles create highly variable assay results, is typical for Redcastle Reef and is accounted for in resource modelling by applying top-cuts to such outliers.
Validating the Geological Model and Supporting Mine Planning
The grade control drilling program, conducted on an 8 by 6-metre grid and now approximately halfway complete, is designed to refine the understanding of grade distribution and lode geometry critical for mine scheduling and dilution control. The new results align closely with the existing geological model, confirming the continuity and thickness of mineralisation across planned mining areas.
Cross-sectional analyses demonstrate consistent mineralised zones with broad intercepts of moderate to high-grade gold, supporting the presence of an east-plunging corridor of stronger mineralisation within the reef. Adjacent drillholes show comparable widths and grades, reinforcing confidence in the deposit's structural interpretation and the robustness of the mineral resource estimate.
Operational and Analytical Rigor
All samples were collected as one-metre intervals and assayed by Bureau Veritas in Kalgoorlie using industry-standard 40-gram fire assay techniques with rigorous quality assurance and control protocols. The drilling was supervised by experienced geological personnel, ensuring high sample recovery and representativity. The company has committed to conducting confirmatory check assays on the highest-grade intervals to validate these exceptional results further.
Looking Ahead, Towards Production
Redcastle Resources and its joint venture partner BML Ventures Ltd continue to advance activities aimed at enabling mining operations at Redcastle Reef. With half the grade control drilling completed and results confirming the deposit's grade continuity, the joint venture is well positioned to finalize mine plans and schedules. The drilling program is scheduled to pause briefly over the holiday period and resume in early January 2026, with further assay results expected to inform any updates to the mineral resource estimate.
As the company progresses towards production, these drilling results provide a solid foundation for confidence in the deposit's economic potential and operational planning.
Bottom Line?
With grade control drilling validating the resource model, Redcastle Reef is poised for critical next steps towards production.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the company address the impact of nuggety gold on resource estimation and mining recovery?
- What timeline is anticipated for completing the full grade control drilling and updating the mineral resource estimate?
- How might these drilling results influence the joint venture’s production schedule and capital planning?
