Spartan Resources has begun an exploration drill drive, dubbed the Juniper decline, at its Dalgaranga gold project in the Murchison region of Western Australia.
Work is underway to establish the underground portal entrance from an existing ramp within the previously mined Gilbey’s open pit.
Drilling works are being undertaken by Spartan’s underground development partner and Perenti subsidiary, Barminco.
“The first cuts have been taken on our journey underground at Dalgaranga,” Spartan interim executive chair Simon Lawson said.
“The underground exploration drill drive, named the ‘Juniper decline’, will establish multiple successive underground drill platforms over the coming months, providing Spartan with the ability to further define and rapidly grow our existing high-grade gold prospects and explore for even more of the same style of high-grade gold shoots.”
With work at the Juniper decline now underway, Lawson said Dalgaranga’s gold potential is just beginning to unfold.
“The incredible drilling success we have enjoyed in making two significant high-grade discoveries – outlining almost two million ounces of high-grade underground gold in front of our existing processing infrastructure – has all been achieved so far from surface drilling alone,” he said.
“The underground platforms will give us even more opportunity to grow our high-grade gold resources quickly and cost-effectively and bring us closer to a number of potential production scenarios that we are working on.”
On the surface, drilling is continuing with three drill rigs focused on in-filling and extending the Pepper resource while a fourth focuses on testing additional targets on the Dalgaranga mining lease.
Data is also being systematically gathered from Pepper to confirm both metallurgical and mining study parameters for inclusion in the planned feasibility study and maiden ore reserve to underpin future restart plans.
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