Avira Resources Launches 4,500m Drilling at Mt Cattlin Targeting High-Grade Gold

Drilling Commences at High-Grade Mt Cattlin Gold Project

Avira Resources (ASX:AVW) has transitioned from planning to active exploration with the start of a 4,500-metre reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign at its Mt Cattlin Gold Project in Western Australia. The program focuses on expanding high-grade gold mineralisation at the Sirdar and Maori Queen deposits, while also initiating the first systematic drill-testing of the Ellendale and Plantagenet prospects.

Targeting Exceptional High-Grade Extensions

The Mt Cattlin project hosts a series of gold deposits with historical drilling confirming spectacular grades, including 1 metre at 131.24 g/t gold and 6 metres at 50.07 g/t gold at Sirdar, alongside 2 metres at 31.65 g/t gold at Maori Queen. These intercepts underpin the current drill design, which aims to define shallow extensions and test deeper mineralisation open at depth and along strike, particularly beneath the historical mining floor at Maori Queen.

Notably, deeper drilling at Sirdar has revealed high-grade mineralisation persisting approximately 200 metres below a pegmatite sill, with 1.6 metres at 19.17 g/t gold from nearly 269 metres, highlighting significant exploration upside beyond previously modelled zones.

Expanding Exploration Beyond Core Deposits

Alongside the core deposits, Avira is drilling the Ellendale and Plantagenet prospects for the first time with a systematic RC program. Ellendale, located 500 metres northwest of Sirdar, has returned consistent gold intersections such as 10 metres at 2.7 g/t gold, but remains underexplored with wide drill spacing. Plantagenet, 600 metres west-southwest of Sirdar, has yielded some of the project's highest near-surface grades, including 4 metres at 18.52 g/t gold and 3 metres at 19.98 g/t gold, hosted in quartz-sulphide structures whose geometry and extent are yet to be fully defined.

Pathway to Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate

The drilling campaign is a critical step towards Avira's goal of delivering a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate by the fourth quarter of 2026. The program is designed in two phases: initially focusing on delineating shallow extensions at Sirdar and Maori Queen to underpin resource confidence, while concurrently testing the resource potential of Ellendale and Plantagenet.

Executive Director James Robinson emphasised the careful design of the program, highlighting the targeting of shallow extensions to known high-grade systems and the exploration of early-stage prospects with encouraging historical results. The company has secured all necessary regulatory, environmental, and heritage approvals, allowing drilling to proceed without delay.

Next Steps and Market Implications

Avira will progressively release assay results to the ASX as they come in, providing ongoing updates on the project's progress. The market will be watching for confirmation of resource expansion and the potential to convert high-grade intersections into a robust resource base, which could materially enhance the project's valuation and development prospects.

The Mt Cattlin Gold Project's location within the Ravensthorpe Greenstone Belt, adjacent to Rio Tinto’s Mt Cattlin Lithium Mine and Medallion Metals’ Kundip Gold Project, further underscores its district-scale potential. The upcoming maiden resource estimate will be a pivotal milestone for Avira as it seeks to advance this high-priority gold-copper asset.