Astral Resources NL advised that its strategy of growing the MRE within the 100% owned Mandilla Gold Project (Mandilla or Project), located approximately 70km south of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, is continuing to gain momentum. The Company reported assay results from recent RC drilling at the cornerstone Theia deposit as well as assay results from 1 metre resamples from previously released aircore (AC) drilling at Eos. The results collectively provide further evidence for the strong potential to increase the current Indicated and Inferred MRE at Mandilla of 24Mt at 1.0g/t Au for 784,000oz. Importantly, recent drilling has also identified higher grade zones within the Theia deposit, highlighting the potential to increase the overall grade of the Resource as part of the next MRE update, scheduled for mid Fourth Quarter 2022. The Mandilla Gold Project includes the Theia, Iris and Eos deposits as well as the recently discovered Hestia prospect. The mineralisation at Theia and Iris is comprised of a complex network of quartz vein arrays close to the western margin of the Emu Rocks Granite and locally in contact with sediments of the Spargoville Group. Significant NW to WNWtrending structures along the western flank of the Project are interpreted from aeromagnetic data to cut through the granitic intrusion and may be important in localising mineralisation at Theia, where a mineralised footprint extending over a strike length of more than 1.5km has been identified to date. A second subparallel structure hosts gold mineralisation at Iris. In this area, the mineralised footprint extends over a strike length of approximately 700 metres. At Eos, located further to the southeast, a relatively shallow highgrade mineralised palaeochannel deposit has been identified. Hestia is a new prospect, where the mineralisation is hosted within a sheared mafic/sediment contact interpreted to be part of the major northsouth trending group of thrust faults known as the Spargoville shear corridor. As such, mineralisation at Hestia is present in a different geological setting to the primary mineralisation at Theia and Iris. Locally, the Spargoville shear corridor hosts the Wattle Dam gold mine (266koz at 10.6g/t Au) and, further to the north, the Ghost Crab/Mt Marion mine (>1Moz). The recently completed RC program consisted of 57 holes for 9,283 metres. Assay results for the first 38 holes totalling 6,422 metres were reported on 13 July 2022. This announcement relates to the remaining 19holes/2,861m.
Of the 19 holes outstanding, 9 were drilled at Theia for an aggregate 1,153 metres, with this program involving: 4 holes/710m drilled for infill and extensional purposes. 5holes/443m drilled as precollars to the currently underway diamond drilling program. The crosssection shown below illustrates the successful infill and extensional drilling results from MDRC638/639/640. These holes were originally planned as DDholes; however, being of limited depth and having regard to RC rig availability, they were drilled as RCholes. MDRC640 was designed to test a gap in the Resource on the western flank, while also following up for potential extensions of the highgrade mineralisation identified in MDGT007 closer to surface. MDRC639 was designed to test a potential crosscutting structure and its effect on an observed southerly highgrade trend on the eastern flank of the Theia deposit. MDRC638 was designed to test for an extension of the observed northerly mineralised trend from a previous hole (MDRC473) in the southern part of the Theia deposit, immediately below the current optimised pit shell. All three RC holes returned robust highgrade assay results as likely proofofconcept of the observed highgrade gold trends. This provides increased confidence in the current DD program and its ability to deliver further MRE growth ­ certainly in terms of tonnage and, potentially, in terms of overall gold grade ­ at Theia. The 10 outstanding RC holes totalling 1,708 metres were drilled at Iris to both test for mineralisation and confirm the stratigraphy immediately to the northwest of the deposit. MDRC624 returned a best result of 20 metres at 1.42g/t Au from 174 metres. The drillholes collared further to the west returned low levels of gold mineralisation. MDRC624 has demonstrated additional mineralisation beneath the current optimised pit shell. Further investigation is required to determine the structural control influencing mineralisation associated with the sediment/intrusive contact as observed in MDRC624. A 17hole/4,700m DD program at Theia is currently underway. To date, two diamond holes have been completed and a third is underway. The DD program has two primary aims: To test the western flank of the deposit to assist with Resource definition. To test two inferred highgrade gold trends that have been observed, one north trending (25°310°) and the other south trending (18°130°). MDRCD644 was orientated to the southeast to intersect the northeast crosscutting structures previously observed to be subparallel to historical drilling. A crosssection of Theia set out in Figure 6 below illustrates MDRCD644 as it intersects the section towards the bottom of hole. It depicts the visible gold observations, which have been logged from 363.5, 395.5 and 396.5 metres down hole. This hole was terminated at 456 metres downhole. Visible gold was also intersected at a depth of 448 metres, representing the deepest mineralisation identified to date at Mandilla. As such, mineralisation at Theia remains open at depth.