Platina Resources' first modern drilling at Sunrise Bore near Laverton reveals a wide, shallow gold system with significant high-grade zones, validating historical data and opening a large exploration window.
- 29m at 3.38g/t Au from 11m depth including 11m at 8.62g/t Au
- 23-hole, 2,863m RC drilling program confirms broad mineralised structure over 80m wide
- Only 200m of a 1.2km mineralised trend tested, substantial exploration upside
- Project part of Platina’s >300km² Laverton gold portfolio
- Next steps include geochemistry, geophysics, and follow-up drilling
Shallow High-Grade Gold Intercepts Validate Sunrise Bore Potential
Platina Resources Limited (ASX:PGM) has delivered a compelling first look at its Sunrise Bore Gold Project with maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling confirming a broad, shallow gold mineralised system. The standout intercept of 29 metres at 3.38 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from just 11 metres downhole, including an impressive 11 metres at 8.62g/t Au, highlights the project's potential to host higher-grade zones close to surface.
This 23-hole, 2,863-metre program represents the first modern drilling at Sunrise Bore since 1998, designed to validate historical mineralisation and establish a contemporary geological framework. The drilling has delineated a mineralised structure more than 80 metres wide, with gold intersected along strike and down-dip beyond the initial 200-metre strike length tested within a broader 1.2-kilometre mineralised trend.
Expanding a Known Mineralised Corridor in Laverton
Sunrise Bore forms part of Platina’s expansive Laverton portfolio, which covers over 300 square kilometres and includes projects like Mt McKenna and Mt Morgans South. The Laverton region is a prolific gold district hosting major operations such as Granny Smith and Sunrise Dam.
Dr Paul Polito, Platina's Managing Director, emphasised the significance of confirming the historical gold system with modern drilling. He noted that while the 29m at 3.38g/t intercept is encouraging, the broader mineralisation within an 80m-wide structure and the open-ended strike and dip extensions offer a substantial exploration upside.
The drilling program tested six east-west lines spaced approximately 40 metres apart, intersecting the broadly north-south trending mineralised structure near historical shafts and workings. Other notable intercepts include 18m at 1.12g/t Au with multiple higher-grade sub-intervals and 37m at 0.43g/t Au including 2m at 5.26g/t Au, underscoring the continuity of mineralisation.
Geological Insights and Next Steps
Geologically, the project area consists mainly of basalt country rock intruded by quartz dolerite and minor felsic sills. The mineralisation is associated with quartz veining within a shear zone dipping approximately 55 degrees east. The oxide zone hosts supergene-enriched high-grade gold, while mineralisation remains open down dip and along strike.
Platina plans to integrate the new drilling and assay data with historical datasets to refine the geological model, focusing on controls and orientation of higher-grade zones. Multielement geochemical assays and magnetic susceptibility measurements are underway to better understand alteration and mineralisation characteristics.
Following these studies, geophysical surveys may be conducted to delineate structures and intrusives, guiding the next phase of systematic RC drilling. This follow-up work aims to test extensions of the mineralised system and assess its scale and continuity.
Substantial Room for Growth in a Proven Gold District
With only a fraction of the 1.2-kilometre mineralised corridor tested, Platina’s Sunrise Bore project offers a sizeable exploration window. The combination of shallow, wide intercepts and high-grade zones near surface is a promising foundation for further resource definition.
As Platina advances its Laverton portfolio, the Sunrise Bore results underscore the potential for a material gold discovery in an established gold province. The upcoming integration of geochemical and geophysical data will be critical in shaping the next exploration steps and unlocking the project's full potential.
Bottom Line?
Sunrise Bore’s broad, shallow gold system with high-grade zones sets the stage for targeted follow-up drilling to define resource potential.
Questions in the middle?
- How will multielement geochemistry refine targeting of higher-grade zones at Sunrise Bore?
- What geophysical methods will Platina deploy to delineate structural controls and extensions?
- To what extent can the 1.2km mineralised trend be expanded beyond the initial 200m tested?