Saturn Metals has updated the mineral resource estimate (MRE) for its Apollo Hill gold project in the Leonora region of Western Australia.
Apollo Hill’s MRE now stands at 118.7 million tonnes at 0.53 grams per tonne of gold for 2,030,000 ounces (oz). The upgrade had added 190,000oz to the MRE, as well as expanded the measured and indicated categories by 161,000oz to 1.15 million ounces.
Saturn updated the Apollo Hill MRE based on an additional 38 reverse circulation holes totalling 8780m completed within the model area since the previous MRE from 2023.
A total of 17 additional metallurgical and geotechnical diamond drill holes equalling 630m were utilised for geological modelling purposes but were not used for the updated MRE.
The new MRE was developed to guide Saturn’s initial mine planning for the Apollo Hill pre-feasibility study, which is expected to be completed later this year.
“This mineral resource upgrade is the sixth consecutive upgrade for the company at our flagship Apollo Hill gold project,” Saturn managing director Ian Bamborough said.
“Once again, we have made a significant step forward with the resource under a conventional and efficient bulk mining and heap leach processing trajectory. Importantly, this expanded mineral resource is published within a single, simple, large ‘Whittle’ pit shell, which demonstrates the potential to realise significant economies of scale and the efficiencies that this will deliver.
“Consistent improvements in the quality of the resource, its overall size, and to the mineral resource classifications through effective drilling continue to bode well for the advancement of our business.”
Saturn’s 65,000m drilling program at Apollo Hill is still underway. The 8780m included in the MRE upgrade only reflects 13 per cent of the program.
“Our geological understanding of the deposit also continues to increase, and we currently have rigs on site focused on resource in-fill and metallurgical drilling, which will provide the basis of another planned resource upgrade in 2025,” Bamborough said.
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