Legacy Iron Uncovers 18 Gold Targets at Yilgangi via UAV Magnetics
Legacy Iron Ore’s UAV magnetic survey over the Yilgangi Project has delineated multiple high-priority gold targets along a major shear corridor, setting the stage for targeted exploration to refine and test these zones.
- UAV magnetics identify three distinct magnetic domains at Yilgangi
- Eighteen high-priority gold targets aligned with Keith-Kilkenny Shear System
- Survey highlights structural complexity controlling gold mineralisation
- Next steps include IP surveys, geochemical sampling, and drilling
- Yilgangi part of broader South Laverton gold portfolio with existing resources
UAV Survey Reveals Structural Gold Potential
Legacy Iron Ore (ASX:LCY) has leveraged cutting-edge UAV magnetic technology to map its Yilgangi tenements, uncovering a network of structural features strongly linked to gold mineralisation. The survey, flown by Pegasus Airborne Systems and interpreted by Newexco Exploration, confirmed that the tenements sit astride the Keith-Kilkenny Fault System, a major NNW-trending shear corridor known for hosting gold deposits.
The high-resolution data delineated three magnetic domains, Central, Rainbow, and Western blocks, each exhibiting distinct magnetic textures and fault offsets. This nuanced picture of the subsurface highlights complex faulting and flexures, which Legacy’s CEO Dr Ranajit Das identifies as critical fluid pathways and potential gold deposition sites.
Eighteen Targets Prioritised for Follow-up
From the geophysical interpretation, Legacy has generated up to 18 high-priority exploration targets. These targets cluster around intersections of the Keith-Kilkenny shear with cross-cutting east-west and NE-SW faults, where magnetic destruction zones suggest hydrothermal alteration, classic hallmarks of orogenic gold systems.
Legacy’s approach is methodical: planned first-pass surface geochemical sampling and detailed field mapping will refine these targets before progressing to targeted drilling. This staged strategy aims to de-risk exploration and maximise the chance of expanding the gold resource base.
Yilgangi’s Place in Legacy’s Gold Pipeline
The Yilgangi Project forms part of Legacy’s broader South Laverton Gold Project, located roughly 100km west of Leonora. It sits near the historic Yilgangi Mining Centre and hosts an inferred resource of 225,834 tonnes at 1.40 g/t gold for over 10,000 ounces. While historic drilling has largely focused on narrow corridors around past workings, Legacy’s new data opens up a wider structural framework for exploration.
This development follows Legacy’s recent resource growth at Mt Celia, where a 53% increase in gold ounces to 390,150 underpinned advancing heap leach studies. The company’s ability to integrate geophysical insights with drilling and metallurgy is shaping a multi-project growth pipeline across Western Australia’s prolific gold belts.
Technology and Exploration Synergy
The UAV survey deployed a PA-HS100 electric rotary-wing drone equipped with a Scintrex CS-VL cesium vapour magnetometer, flying at a consistent 25m sensor height to maximise data quality. Automated terrain-following ensured precision over rugged terrain, producing 1,465 line kilometres of data with 25m line spacing. This technological edge allowed Legacy to resolve subtle magnetic textures and structural disruptions critical for gold targeting.
Interpreters applied advanced filtering techniques such as RTP tilt derivatives to sharpen the structural picture. The magnetic domains and fault patterns identified are now guiding Legacy’s next exploration phases, including induced polarization (IP) surveys to detect sulphide mineralisation and geochemical sampling to validate anomalies.
Bottom Line?
Legacy Iron’s UAV magnetics have spotlighted a structurally complex gold system at Yilgangi, but the real test lies ahead as geochemical and drilling programs seek to convert targets into resources.
Questions in the middle?
- How will upcoming IP surveys refine the prioritisation of the 18 gold targets?
- Can Legacy’s staged approach at Yilgangi replicate the resource growth seen at Mt Celia?
- What are the implications of structural complexity for drilling success and resource continuity?
