Horizon Gold has launched a 2,000m diamond drilling programme at its 100% owned Gum Creek gold project located in the Murchison Region of Western Australia.
The drilling will cover 15 prospects within the project area, advancing the company’s ongoing exploration and feasibility efforts at the Western Australian gold project.
Through the initial programme, Horizon Gold aims to infill gaps in prior drilling results and gather critical geotechnical data to inform the design of open pits for the company’s current feasibility study.
The Australian exploration company expects the diamond drilling to be completed by mid-December, with geotechnical logging and gold analysis set to be concluded in early 2025.
A key focus of the programme is to test a high-priority target located along strike and down plunge from a previously identified high-grade gold intercept at the Wedge Prospect.
Upon completion of the diamond drilling, Horizon Gold will initiate about 10,000m of infill and extension reverse circulation (RC) drilling across all deposits included in the Gum Creek feasibility study (FS).
This phase of drilling will aim to improve geological and resource confidence across the project’s current 2.14-million-ounce gold resource.
The RC programme will target high-priority areas, including the open down plunge position at the Hawk prospect. It is scheduled to begin in January 2025 and is expected to take approximately six weeks to complete.
Horizon Gold will complete the RC drilling at 15 existing resource areas and at the Eagles Peak South area.
Located within a gold region that hosts multi-million-ounce deposits including Big Bell, Wiluna, Mt Magnet, Meekatharra and Agnew/Lawlers, the Gum Creek gold project encompasses around 663km2.
The gold resources, including the existing plant site, tailings dam and village are held on granted mining leases all pre-native title.
Besides, the Gum Creek project holds the potential to extend the 10-year mine life outlined in the Gum Creek scoping study through resource expansion drilling and the consideration of underground mining.
Work on evaluating underground mining options and conducting economic assessments for the Swan/Swift, Kingfisher, Omega, and Wilsons deposits is still ongoing.
Additionally, further drilling at the 12 open-pittable resource areas not yet included in the scoping or feasibility studies is expected to expand the resource base of these deposits.
