Ordell Minerals has reported broad shallow gold intersections from the first 11 holes of a 122-hole infill program at McNabs East in Western Australia. The results strengthen the case for a maiden resource in the December 2026 quarter, although most assays and the key resource work remain outstanding.
- 32m at 1.65g/t gold from 31m
- 19m at 2.70g/t gold from 40m
- 25m at 1.89g/t gold including 1m at 26.67g/t
- 122-hole, 8,625m infill program completed
- Maiden McNabs East resource targeted for Q4 2026
Broad shallow zones strengthen McNabs East resource case
Ordell Minerals Limited (ASX:ORD) has returned broad, shallow gold intercepts from McNabs East, giving the company a stronger drilling foundation ahead of a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate targeted for the December 2026 quarter. The standout results include 32m at 1.65g/t gold from 31m, 19m at 2.70g/t from 40m and 25m at 1.89g/t from 16m, with the latter interval including 1m at 26.67g/t.
Additional results from the same western portion of the prospect included 22m at 1.91g/t from 52m and 27m at 1.78g/t from 70m. Ordell says the mineralisation begins about 10m below surface and remains open, supporting its stated aim of assessing a potential open-pit, near-term development opportunity at its Barimaia Gold Project near Mount Magnet in Western Australia.
Only 11 holes have been reported from 122
The numbers are encouraging, but the dataset is still incomplete. Ordell has finished 122 reverse circulation holes for 8,625m across 1,400m of strike at McNabs East, while this release covers just 11 holes for 838m. Assays from most of the completed program are expected over the next six weeks, creating a substantial near-term stream of results before the resource estimate can be assembled.
The company is pursuing a two-pronged plan: define a potentially mineable resource at McNabs East, while continuing to expand the wider Barimaia system through extensional and discovery drilling. Diamond drilling has already added a deeper intercept of 17.4m at 1.49g/t from 220.3m, which Ordell interprets as extending the Main Zone down-plunge to the east. Further RC and diamond drilling is planned in the December quarter.
Resource classification remains the important test
Air-core drilling is now underway across northern, southern and eastern targets to search for new felsic intrusions and follow up gold anomalism and multi-element geochemistry. Ordell also plans first-pass RC drilling at a quartz vein target on P58/2051. The exploration strategy could add scale, but these programs are still aimed at finding and defining mineralisation rather than demonstrating an economic deposit.
That distinction matters. The reported intervals are down-hole lengths, not stated true widths, and the JORC commentary says the current data spacing is not yet sufficient to confirm geological and grade continuity for Mineral Resource classification. Ordell holds an 80.3% interest in Barimaia, adjacent to Ramelius Resources' Mt Magnet processing operations, but no mining study, production decision or development economics has yet been delivered. The next test is whether the pending assays convert a promising set of intersections into a coherent resource with sufficient continuity and scale.
Bottom Line?
The drilling has improved the geological story, but the investment case now turns on the remaining assays and whether the Q4 resource can establish continuity, scale and a credible path to development.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the remaining assays confirm that the broad shallow mineralisation continues across the full 1,400m drilling corridor?
- What tonnage, grade and JORC classification will the maiden McNabs East resource support?
- Can future mining studies demonstrate an economic open-pit opportunity after accounting for approvals, capital and processing requirements?