Waratah Minerals has pushed the boundaries of its Consols Gold Zone in New South Wales, revealing a fresh shallow high-grade gold zone alongside substantial deeper mineralisation. Meanwhile, drilling at the Spur Project continues to expand the mineralised footprint northwards.
- SPD074 drill hole extends Consols mineralisation 75m east and down plunge
- New shallow high-grade gold zone discovered from 44m depth
- Multiple significant deeper gold intercepts confirm robust mineral system
- Spur Project drilling expands mineralisation 50m north along Tywi Fault
- Ongoing 80,000m drilling campaign advancing district-scale gold targets
Consols Zone Expansion and New Shallow High-Grade Discovery
Waratah Minerals Limited (ASX:WTM) has unveiled a major extension to its Consols Gold Zone at the Spur Project in New South Wales, with drill hole SPD074 confirming a 75-metre eastward and down-plunge extension of the mineralised system. More notably, this hole has identified a previously unrecognised shallow high-grade gold zone starting at just 44 metres downhole, delivering 12.7 metres at 1.35 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, including a 5-metre section grading 3.24 g/t Au.
The broad and continuous mineralisation encountered in SPD074 underscores the vertical and lateral continuity of the Consols system, with multiple substantial deeper gold intersections recorded. These include 21 metres at 1.45 g/t Au from 489m, 23.5 metres at 2.12 g/t Au from 563m, and a remarkable 185 metres at 0.94 g/t Au from 646m, featuring several higher-grade sub-intervals exceeding 2.5 g/t Au. The hole also intersected a 74.9-metre zone averaging 0.98 g/t Au from 845.1m, with peak assays up to 6.4 g/t Au over 3 metres near the bottom.
Spur Project Mineralisation Advances Northwards
Beyond Consols, Waratah’s drilling at the Spur Project continues to build momentum. Hole SPD088 extended mineralisation 50 metres north along the Tywi Fault, intersecting multiple gold zones including 5.7 metres at 0.78 g/t Au near surface and a broad 190-metre interval averaging 0.45 g/t Au from 419m, punctuated by higher-grade veins up to 4.35 g/t Au.
Additional holes SPD060A and SPD081 further confirm widespread mineralisation with potassic alteration signatures akin to those at Consols, suggesting a broader mineralised system. SPD060A drilled 70 metres above SPD088 intercepted multiple mineralised zones from near surface, including a standout 1-metre intercept at 15.29 g/t Au. SPD081 expanded mineralisation 65 metres north and identified high-temperature potassic alteration veins, reinforcing the geological continuity.
Robust Drilling Campaign and Exploration Potential
Waratah is in the midst of an extensive 80,000-metre growth and extensional drilling program across the Spur Project, with rigs actively turning at Consols, Spur, and Ironclad targets. The company emphasizes that the new shallow high-grade zone at Consols offers an immediate near-surface follow-up target, while the eastern and down-plunge extensions open up significant new exploration ground.
Managing Director Peter Duerden highlighted that the SPD074 result materially expands the exploration opportunity, with ongoing drilling aimed at defining these extensions and testing the continuity of the shallow zone. The broader 6-kilometre priority target zone at the margin of the Cargo Intrusive Complex remains a focal point for systematic growth of the mineralised footprint.
Technical Rigour and Compliance with JORC Standards
The drilling program employs industry-standard diamond drilling techniques with comprehensive geological and geotechnical logging, orientation, and sampling protocols. Assays are conducted primarily using photon assay technology, which offers enhanced accuracy for gold quantification, especially where coarse gold is present. Quality control measures include insertion of certified reference materials, blanks, and duplicates to ensure data integrity.
Waratah confirms that all reported results comply with the 2012 JORC Code, and the company’s Competent Person, Peter Duerden, has verified the data. The results form part of a broader dataset underpinning Waratah’s ongoing efforts to delineate a significant gold resource in the region.
Bottom Line?
Waratah’s latest drilling at Consols and Spur not only extends known mineralisation but also reveals a new shallow high-grade gold zone, setting the stage for accelerated resource definition and potential near-surface development.
Questions in the middle?
- How will follow-up drilling target the newly identified shallow high-grade zone at Consols?
- What impact could these extensions have on the overall resource estimation and project economics?
- Can the potassic alteration signatures at Spur be linked to a larger porphyry system enhancing district-scale potential?