Yandal Finds More Depth at Arrakis Gold Discovery
Yandal Resources has extended the newly defined Domain C at its Arrakis gold prospect by about 80 metres down-plunge, with drilling returning 24.2 metres at 1.4g/t gold. The result strengthens the case for deeper follow-up drilling, although the mineralised system remains too broadly spaced to support a resource estimate.
- 24.2m at 1.4g/t gold from 237.8m at Arrakis
- Higher-grade intervals of 8.3m at 3.0g/t and 3.0m at 5.4g/t
- Domain C extended approximately 80m down-plunge and remains open at depth
- Flushing Meadows drilling returned narrow high-grade intervals alongside weaker RC results
- Further Arrakis, Flushing Meadows and Siona assays expected in September
Arrakis Domain C Extends at Depth
Yandal Resources Limited (ASX:YRL) has pushed its Arrakis discovery deeper, extending the newly defined high-grade Domain C by about 80 metres down-plunge with a 24.2-metre intercept grading 1.4g/t gold from 237.8 metres. The result from diamond-tailed hole 26IWBRC0117D included 8.3 metres at 3.0g/t and a higher-grade 3.0-metre section at 5.4g/t.
The intercept sits at an approximate vertical depth of 200 metres and remains open at depth. Yandal says the 6,450mN section shows gold mineralisation increasing in both width and grade with depth, while combined drilling indicates Domain C plunges roughly 45 degrees to the southwest.
Promising Widths Still Need Closer Drilling
The latest result adds depth to a zone that has already produced materially stronger intervals, including 20 metres at 8.7g/t gold from 84 metres in hole 26IWBRC0120, with a 3-metre section at 52.8g/t. Other drilling has returned broader but lower-grade intersections, including 17.5 metres at 2.3g/t and 17 metres at 1.1g/t.
Those numbers are encouraging at an exploration stage, but they are not yet a resource story. The company states that current drill spacing is insufficient to establish geological or grade continuity or support a Mineral Resource Estimate. Intercepts are reported as down-hole lengths, with estimated true widths at Arrakis of approximately 60% to 70% of those lengths.
Flushing Meadows Produces Mixed Follow-Up Results
At the established Flushing Meadows prospect, diamond hole 26IWBRC0097D returned 3.5 metres at 4.1g/t gold from 157.8 metres, including 0.5 metres at 25.2g/t. The same hole also produced 4.0 metres at 2.6g/t, while hole 26IWBRC0099D returned 2.1 metres at 1.5g/t.
The follow-up RC drilling was less decisive. Results included 2 metres at 1.9g/t in hole 26IWBRC0131, 9 metres at 0.5g/t and a separate 1-metre interval at 11.0g/t in hole 26IWBRC0132, and 2 metres at 0.7g/t in hole 26IWBRC0133. Yandal interprets the shallow mineralisation that prompted the program as limited in dip extent and likely secondary in nature, with mineralisation associated with the contacts of an irregular intrusive unit.
September Assays Set the Next Test
Drilling has been paused while outstanding assays are received and assessed. The final Arrakis diamond tail, 26IWBRC0116D, is expected to report during September, followed by planned drilling to test whether Domain C continues at depth. First results from the parallel Anders target are also expected this month.
Further Flushing Meadows diamond and RC results are due, alongside air-core results from Flushing Meadows and Giedi Prime. Yandal also expects results from completed drilling at the Salusa and Siona prospects in the New England Granite target area. The immediate question is whether Arrakis can turn an attractive but still widely spaced set of intercepts into a continuous mineralised domain that can be estimated with confidence.
Bottom Line?
The 80-metre extension keeps Arrakis moving in the right direction, but the next assays and tighter drilling will determine whether Domain C is a coherent resource-scale zone or an intriguing set of isolated intercepts.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the pending 26IWBRC0116D result confirm continuity beyond the latest Domain C extension?
- How much of the reported down-hole width will translate into true mineralised width at depth?
- Can closer-spaced drilling establish sufficient continuity for an exploration target or future resource estimate?
