Dundas Minerals has kicked off a major reverse circulation drilling campaign targeting resource growth and confidence upgrades across its three Kalgoorlie gold projects, Capricorn, Baden-Powell, and Rockland.
- Over 5,000 metres of RC drilling underway across three granted mining leases
- Capricorn and Baden-Powell resources remain open in multiple directions
- Rockland drilling targets extensions to high-grade gold shoots
- Heritage clearances and work program approvals secured
- Assay results expected progressively through December quarter
Significant Drilling Campaign Commences at Kalgoorlie Projects
Dundas Minerals (ASX:DUN) has commenced a substantial reverse circulation (RC) drilling program exceeding 5,000 metres across its Kalgoorlie gold portfolio, aiming to extend and infill inferred gold resources at Capricorn, Baden-Powell, and Rockland. The three projects, situated about 40km north of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, are all held on granted mining leases with heritage survey clearances and approved Programmes of Work in place, enabling immediate drilling activity.
Capricorn and Baden-Powell Target Resource Growth
The Capricorn project features an inferred mineral resource of 659,300 tonnes at 1.2 grams per tonne (g/t) gold. Drilling is designed both to infill the deposit to enhance confidence in the resource estimate and to test extensions north, south, and at depth where the resource remains open. Notably, previous drill intercepts such as 12m at 3.6 g/t and 3m at 9.14 g/t gold lie outside the current resource model, highlighting potential upside.
Similarly, Baden-Powell hosts an inferred resource of 595,000 tonnes at 1.2 g/t gold, predominantly within 100 metres of surface. The sub-vertical lodes remain open along strike and at depth. Historical intercepts including 9m at 4.0 g/t and 8m at 2.8 g/t gold reinforce the prospectivity of the deposit, which benefits from a granted mining lease free of royalties.
Rockland Drilling Focuses on High-Grade Extensions
At Rockland, drilling follows up on a shallow, high-grade gold discovery announced earlier this year. Recent re-assays confirmed significant mineralisation including 3m at 6.94 g/t gold from 138 metres, with discrete shoots interpreted to dip east and remaining open down dip. Rockland lies on the same north-south structural corridor as Capricorn, separated by an untested 500-metre zone, suggesting potential for a linked mineralised system.
Operational and Strategic Context
Drilling is underway using a track-mounted Schramm T450 RC rig operated by Nexgen Drilling Pty Ltd, capable of reaching depths up to 300 metres. Holes are oriented to intersect east-dipping mineralisation, with the program expected to deliver assay results progressively through the December quarter. Dundas’ Managing Director Jonathan Downes emphasised the significance of the campaign, describing it as the culmination of a year’s groundwork securing tenure, approvals, and heritage clearances.
Downes highlighted that Capricorn and Baden-Powell remain open-ended shallow gold resources, both estimated when gold prices averaged around A$2,650 per ounce and neither having been mined. Rockland’s high-grade shoots add a compelling new dimension to the portfolio. He anticipates a steady flow of results over coming months, which will be critical to refining resource models and assessing development potential.
Bottom Line?
Dundas’ 5,000m drilling push at Kalgoorlie is a pivotal step toward unlocking value from unmined, open-ended gold resources with early signs of high-grade extensions.
Questions in the middle?
- Will assay results confirm extensions sufficient to upgrade inferred resources to higher confidence categories?
- How might the untested 500m corridor between Capricorn and Rockland influence the scale of the mineralised system?
- What are the implications of these drilling results for Dundas’ development timelines and potential milling partnerships?