-- Astral Resources (ASX:AAR) said diamond drilling was underway at its Mandilla gold project in Western Australia, targeting depth extensions up to 200 meters below the base of the current mineral resource limits at the Theia deposit, according to a Tuesday Australian bourse filing.
Two holes of a six-hole, 3,000-meter diamond drilling program were completed. Both holes were extended beyond target depth, encountering quartz veining and visible gold up to 360 meters below the base of the existing Theie open pit shell.
It purchased the 21-hectare Mandilla Homestead freehold land, adjacent to the proposed project development, for a total consideration of AU$850,000. Settlement is scheduled to occur on or around Aug. 10.
It received assays of nine meters at 4.38 grams-per-tonne grade of gold from 108 meters, as well as four meters at 8.31 g/t grade of gold from 97 meters from drilling at the 5B deposit within the Spargoville gold project, also in Western Australia.