Western Gold kicks off drilling at Gold Duke near Wiluna in WA

Western Gold (ASX:WGR) is trading flat as the market trades sideways heading towards the end of lunchtime trades on the news it has kicked off drilling at its Gold Duke project in WA. 

The company will conduct RC drilling across the next two weeks targeting two key prospects at the acreage: Top Knot, and, Kingfisher North. 

52 drillholes will return 3700m of core equivalent (RC drilling produces rock chip samples from underground,) chasing after targets identified in electromagnetic imaging survey work.

The company expects to have assay results to report by mid-January, roughly ten weeks away. Currently, numerous companies reliant on assay laboratories through WA are reporting delays in receipt of results as demand continues to outpace laboratory capacity. 

What is special about these two prospects? 

The Top Knot target is located on the Joyner Find Shear Zone, a geological formation of foremost interest to the company. 

Top Knot will see 17 holes sunk atop it as the company sniffs out gold, and, whatever else it may find. 

Back in May this year, Western Gold originally hit evidence of rare earths and lithium mineralisation on the Joyners Find Greenstone Belt, at the Brilliant prospect. 

North Kingfisher, meanwhile, is without rare earths or lithium potential (though the company does note no previous drilling has been conducted there.) 

Western Gold is confident the North Kingfisher target is prospective for gold-copper mineralisation, and perhaps this target is of more interest to the company, given that it is sinking 35 RC drillholes there (as opposed to 17 at Top Knot.) 

Last truly unexplored area: Management 

“The Kingfisher North prospect is the last truly underexplored area within the project area with 3km of both the Brilliant and Shear Zones lying beneath Proterozoic rocks,” Western Gold MD Warren Thorne said. 

“Drilling is aimed at testing structural targets generated from SAM interpretation including flexures in the shear zones and interpreted intrusives. The Top Knot drilling program follows up targets generated by soil sampling and interpretation of the survey."

“The start of the drilling program is a testament to the hard work by the exploration team over the last few months and sets up WGR for continued success in 2022.”

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