GoldArc Advances Mt Stirling Gold Project with High-Grade Drilling and Mine Planning Progress
GoldArc Resources reports strong grade control drilling results from the Mt Stirling Well and Mt Stirling gold deposits, underpinning updated mining models and advancing preparations for regulatory approval ahead of mining.
- Mt Stirling Well delivers record 31.0 g/t Au intercept
- 74% of 34,000m grade control drilling program complete
- Results refine ore boundaries and support mine planning
- Mining Development and Closure Proposal approval anticipated
- Program fully funded by BML Ventures under 50/50 profit share
Mt Stirling Well Hits New High-Grade Gold Intercept
GoldArc Resources (ASX:GA8) has reported its strongest individual intercept to date at the Mt Stirling Well deposit, with 1 metre grading 31.0 g/t Au from 15 metres. This standout result, part of the fourth batch of grade control drilling, sits alongside multiple other intercepts exceeding 6 g/t Au, confirming the presence of high-grade quartz-vein-hosted shoots consistent with the deposit’s 2.3 g/t inferred resource grade. These results bolster confidence in the deposit’s contribution to the broader Leonora North development.
Grade Control Drilling Nears Completion with 74% Done
The partner-funded reverse circulation grade control program has now completed approximately 25,292 metres of the planned 34,000 metres, representing about 74% progress. The drilling covers both Mt Stirling Well and the adjacent Mt Stirling deposit, with the ninth batch of results from Mt Stirling confirming narrower, elevated-grade intercepts consistent with the deposit’s margins and shallow benches. These data are critical for defining ore boundaries and refining mine planning models.
Mine Planning Accelerates Ahead of Regulatory Approval
With grade control drilling largely complete, GoldArc and its partner BML Ventures are advancing updated mining models and detailed mine planning in preparation for the anticipated approval of the Mining Development and Closure Proposal (MDCP). This regulatory approval is a prerequisite before mining operations can commence at Mt Stirling. Subject to MDCP approval, mining is expected to begin, marking a significant milestone for the project.
Distinct Geological Settings Inform Drilling and Planning
Gold mineralisation at Mt Stirling occurs within high-strain schistose-mylonitic deformation along the Hydra Fault, hosted in hydrothermally altered meta-basalt. In contrast, Mt Stirling Well features narrow, flat-dipping quartz veins within granitoid host rock, representing a different structural setting. The ongoing grade control drilling at Mt Stirling Well continues to confirm near-surface, high-grade mineralisation consistent with the resource model, supporting its integration into the broader Leonora North mine development plan.
Program Fully Funded Under Profit Share Arrangement
The entire 34,000-metre grade control program is fully funded by BML Ventures Pty Ltd under a 50/50 net profit share agreement, while GoldArc retains 100% ownership of both the Mt Stirling and Mt Stirling Well deposits. The detailed drilling and assay data are informing production scheduling, dilution risk reduction, and ore-waste discrimination to optimise extraction scenarios ahead of mining.
Bottom Line?
GoldArc’s high-grade drilling results and advancing mine planning put Mt Stirling on track for production, but mining commencement hinges on pending regulatory approval.
Questions in the middle?
- When will the Mining Development and Closure Proposal receive regulatory approval?
- How will updated mining models based on recent drilling impact production forecasts?
- What further grade control results can be expected from the ongoing Mt Stirling Well drilling?
