Maritana Minerals is intensifying drilling across its Western Australian projects, aiming to upgrade resources and support a mid-2027 mining restart at Boorara and first gold processing at the Black Swan Processing Hub.
- Resource conversion drilling underway at Coote and Crake
- Boorara drilling complete ahead of mid-2027 mining restart
- Phase 2 extensional drilling finished at Burbanks with assays pending
- Maiden aircore drilling at Wilsons completed, results due October
- Four drill rigs active to accelerate resource upgrades
Drilling Push Targets Resource Upgrades Near Black Swan Hub
Maritana Minerals (ASX:MRT) has ramped up drilling activities in the Western Australian Goldfields as it prepares for the commissioning of its Black Swan Processing Hub (BSPH) in the second half of 2027. The company is focused on converting Inferred Mineral Resources to the Indicated category through an extensive 60,000-metre drilling campaign across multiple deposits, underpinning Ore Reserve updates and an updated life-of-mine plan.
Resource conversion and extensional drilling has commenced at the Coote and Crake projects, located about 10 kilometres northwest of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. These structurally controlled gold deposits are geologically similar to the nearby Janet Ivy open pit and have historical production exceeding 100,000 ounces from adjacent pits. Multiple rigs are deployed to accelerate drilling over the next three months, with first assay results expected within weeks.
Boorara Drilling Complete Ahead of Mining Restart
At Boorara, the first ore source for the BSPH, reverse circulation (RC) drilling has wrapped up, with 119 holes drilled over 17,000 metres. This drilling supports resource conversion and detailed grade control ahead of a planned mining restart in mid-2027. A 460,000-tonne ore stockpile from previous mining will feed initial commissioning and ramp-up phases. Grade control drilling continues to define ore blocks for the upcoming open pit operations.
Wilsons and Burbanks Drilling Programs Progress
The maiden 4,000-metre aircore program at the Wilsons Gold Prospect, just 400 metres from the BSPH, has been completed with assays submitted. Wilsons represents a new discovery opportunity on historically nickel-focused ground, with first assay results expected in October 2026. Depending on outcomes, further exploration will be considered.
Meanwhile, Phase 2 extensional drilling at Burbanks has finished, targeting depth extensions of the Main Lode and Birthday Gift lodes. Initial results have been encouraging, supporting mineralisation at depth. An updated Mineral Resource estimate incorporating Phase 1 drilling is due this quarter, which will feed into the life-of-mine planning for the BSPH.
Operational Outlook and Next Steps
Maritana’s Managing Director Grant Haywood emphasised the strategic sequencing of these drilling campaigns ahead of the BSPH commissioning. “The majority of these programs will lift confidence in the ounces closest to the Black Swan Processing Hub so they can be converted into Reserves and scheduled into the mine plan,” he said. The company plans to incorporate final assay results into Ore Reserve updates and pre-production mine plans over the coming months.
With three drill rigs currently active across the Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie districts and a fourth rig due to start in September, Maritana is positioning itself for a strong resource base to support the targeted mid-2027 restart at Boorara and first gold processing at the Black Swan hub in H2 2027. The drilling progress complements ongoing early works and infrastructure development at the hub, maintaining momentum toward production milestones.
Bottom Line?
Maritana’s intensive drilling campaign aims to solidify resource confidence and underpin a timely mining restart, but upcoming assay results will be critical to confirming the scale and grade of near-hub ounces.
Questions in the middle?
- Will assay results from Coote, Crake, and Wilsons confirm sufficient resource upgrades to support Ore Reserve growth?
- How will the updated Mineral Resource estimate at Burbanks influence the life-of-mine plan for the Black Swan Processing Hub?
- What operational challenges might arise in meeting the mid-2027 mining restart and processing targets at Boorara?