Altair Minerals Launches Fully Funded 75,000m Drill Campaign at Greater Oko Gold Project
Altair Minerals has unveiled an ambitious and fully funded 75,000m drilling program at its Greater Oko gold project in Guyana, marking one of the largest inaugural gold exploration campaigns in the country. The strategy targets multiple zones including South Oko, North Peters, and new regional prospects, backed by a robust cash position and enhanced operational capabilities.
- 75,000m combined diamond and RC drilling over 18 months
- Two new RC rigs deployed at South Oko and North Peters
- Extensive LiDAR survey covering 400km2 to refine targets
- Regional exploration expanding to Kmung, Mara-Mara, East Puruni
- Strong cash position of approximately A$38 million supports plan
Unprecedented Scale for Guyana Gold Exploration
Altair Minerals Limited (ASX:ALR) has announced an upscaled exploration campaign at its Greater Oko project in Guyana, committing to a fully funded 75,000-metre drilling program. This represents one of the largest inaugural gold drilling efforts in the country, combining 40,000 metres of diamond drilling with 35,000 metres of reverse circulation (RC) drilling across multiple targets.
The program focuses on key areas including South Oko (SOKO), North Peters (NP), and three new regional districts; Kmung, Mara-Mara, and East Puruni; aiming to unlock multiple world-class discoveries within the 590km2 land package. Altair’s CEO Faheem Ahmed highlighted the strategic nature of this campaign, emphasizing a disciplined approach that leveraged the recent A$28.2 million placement with Endeavour Mining, which boosted the company’s cash reserves to around A$38 million.
Operational Readiness and Enhanced Drilling Capacity
Altair has secured two new RC drill rigs, ready to mobilize imminently; one assigned to South Oko and the other to North Peters; alongside its existing diamond rig. The company upgraded its original RAB drill rig at North Peters to RC to improve sample quality and depth penetration. This expanded fleet is supported by increased on-ground infrastructure, including additional camps, machinery such as dozers and excavators, and a bolstered technical team with senior geologists experienced in the Oko district.
The RC drilling at SOKO, set to begin in August, will systematically test geochemical targets to an average depth of 50 metres, while diamond drilling at NP will validate historical high-grade zones and explore mineralisation controls. Meanwhile, regional exploration programs are underway, with over 1,000 soil samples collected and auger infill sampling progressing to refine drill targets.
LiDAR Survey to Drive Target Generation
A comprehensive LiDAR survey covering more than 400 square kilometres is scheduled to commence early August. This will provide the largest and most detailed topographical dataset in the country, enabling Altair to map geological structures, lithologies, alluvial fields, and access routes. The data is expected to play a pivotal role in interpreting current drill results and generating a multi-year pipeline of exploration targets.
Regional Prospects Offer Multi-Year Growth Potential
Beyond SOKO and NP, Altair is advancing exploration at Kmung, Mara-Mara, and East Puruni, areas characterised by significant alluvial gold workings and stream sediment anomalies indicative of underlying primary deposits. Historic drilling at Kmung, though limited, has returned promising intercepts such as 14 metres at 3.46 g/t gold, with the mineralised granite-mafic greenstone contact extending over 10 kilometres untested.
Mara-Mara, located approximately 8 kilometres northwest of NP, hosts the country’s second highest known BLEG stream anomaly, with a peak value of 1,070 parts per billion gold. East Puruni similarly features anomalous stream sediments with peak values reaching 1,300 parts per billion, sitting on key structural contacts. These early-stage targets underpin Altair’s strategy to build a robust discovery pipeline beyond the core drilling areas.
Guyana’s Emerging Gold Province
Greater Oko lies within the Guiana Shield, a rapidly emerging gold jurisdiction that shares geological characteristics with West Africa’s prolific Birimian greenstone belts. The region has attracted significant investment and exploration success, exemplified by recent multi-billion dollar takeovers of G2 Goldfields and Reunion Gold. Despite this, much of Guyana remains underexplored, presenting a compelling opportunity for Altair to leverage its dominant land position.
Altair’s expanded campaign coincides with the imminent production start of a nearby 5.9 million-ounce discovery, underscoring the district’s potential. The company’s methodical approach, combining advanced geophysical techniques, extensive geochemical sampling, and a significant drilling footprint, positions it well to test and potentially delineate large-scale gold systems.
Bottom Line?
Altair’s fully funded, large-scale drill program and enhanced operational setup mark a decisive shift toward aggressive exploration at Greater Oko, with upcoming assay results set to clarify the district’s potential.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the expanded drilling at South Oko confirm the hypothesized primary gold sources feeding historic alluvial workings?
- Can Altair’s regional targets at Kmung, Mara-Mara, and East Puruni deliver new discoveries beyond the current core zones?
- How will the forthcoming LiDAR data reshape Altair’s targeting strategy and influence future drilling campaigns?
