Duketon Mining has kicked off a 2,500-metre reverse circulation drilling program at its Barlee Gold Project, aiming to extend promising gold mineralisation identified in its maiden campaign and supported by strong soil geochemistry.
- 2,500m follow-up RC drilling underway at Barlee
- Focus on extending gold mineralisation from maiden drill hits
- Drilling targets high-amplitude gold-in-soil anomalies
- Geochemical sampling continues to refine targets
- Project offers multiple untested gold prospects
Follow-up Drilling Targets Gold Continuity
Duketon Mining Limited (ASX:DKM) has accelerated its exploration at the Barlee Gold Project with a new 2,500-metre reverse circulation (RC) drill program now underway. This marks only the second drilling campaign at Barlee, designed to test extensions and continuity of gold mineralisation first revealed in the maiden program earlier this year.
The initial drilling delivered encouraging intercepts, including 30 metres at 1.1 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 12 metres at the Gromit prospect, with higher-grade zones such as 9 metres at 2.4 g/t within that interval. Other notable hits included 6 metres at 1.1 g/t from 33 metres at Odie and 12 metres at 1.3 g/t from 28 metres at Astro, capped by a 1-metre high-grade zone at 4.7 g/t at the end of the hole. These results underpin the current program’s focus on testing the strike and depth extensions beneath broad, high-amplitude gold-in-soil anomalies previously mapped across the project area.
Geochemical Surveys Support Target Generation
Complementing the drilling, Duketon continues to advance its UltraFine+® (UFF) soil geochemical sampling, aiming to complete coverage within the tenement E77/3160. The ongoing sampling is expected to refine and expand the pipeline of gold targets, feeding into the broader exploration strategy across Barlee’s extensive landholding. The project benefits from multiple untested gold prospects, offering a significant scale for discovery potential.
Management Sees Emerging Gold Camp Potential
Managing Director Stuart Fogarty expressed optimism about the project’s upside, highlighting the maiden drilling as a “great success” that has sparked excitement about Barlee’s potential. He emphasised the scale of the project and the multiple targets yet to be tested, noting that this follow-up program will provide critical data to guide future exploration efforts. Fogarty suggested the possibility of a new gold camp emerging at Barlee, signalling the company’s commitment to unlocking value from this promising asset.
The decision to bring forward drilling was facilitated by the early availability of a suitable rig, enabling Duketon to maintain momentum and capitalise on the initial positive results. The upcoming assay results from this program will be closely watched to assess the continuity and grade of mineralisation, which remain key uncertainties until laboratory analyses are complete.
Bottom Line?
Duketon’s follow-up drilling at Barlee is a crucial step in validating and expanding its early gold discoveries, with assay results poised to shape the project’s next phase.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the new drilling confirm the continuity of high-grade gold zones beyond maiden intercepts?
- How will ongoing geochemical sampling influence target prioritisation across the project?
- Could Barlee evolve into a significant new gold camp with further exploration success?