Great Boulder Resources (ASX: GBR) has made a significant new gold discovery at its Mulga Bill North deposit, marking a key milestone in the company’s ongoing exploration efforts at its Side Well Gold Project in Western Australia. The discovery, made during extensional drilling, is expected to underpin the company’s maiden resource estimate for the region. The results of this drilling have not only confirmed the presence of gold but have also revealed substantial potential for future resource growth.
Mulga Bill North Drilling Program Delivers Strong Results
As part of its exploration strategy, Great Boulder conducted a drilling program at Mulga Bill North, which forms a part of the Side Well Gold Project. The company drilled 13 reverse circulation (RC) holes, totalling 1,932 meters, with the objective of confirming and infilling known mineralisation, as well as testing new prospective areas within the project.
The results from the drilling program were highly encouraging, with the company intersecting multiple zones of gold mineralisation. One standout result included 29 meters at 3.15 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, which included a higher-grade interval of 8 meters at 6.03 g/t gold. These results significantly upgrade the data from previous aircore drilling in the area and open up exciting possibilities for follow-up drilling along strike and down-dip to further expand the known mineralisation.
Strategic Significance of the Discovery
According to Managing Director Andrew Paterson, the results from Mulga Bill North have validated the company’s belief in the substantial potential of the Side Well Gold Project. “The newly discovered mineralisation is hosted within the same geological unit as the Mulga Bill deposit, reinforcing our view that the overall Mulga Bill system has the potential to host more than a million ounces of gold within the 2.5 kilometers of strike we’ve drilled to date,” Paterson explained.
This discovery represents a major breakthrough for Great Boulder, as the company has now identified new, high-potential zones of gold mineralisation in the north, where they plan further drilling. The latest findings further enhance the overall potential of the Side Well Gold Project, particularly in the context of its regional geological setting, which is favorable for the discovery of additional gold resources.
Expanded Drilling Program and Upcoming Plans
Following the promising results, Great Boulder Resources is planning a follow-up drilling program in 2025 to continue its exploration efforts at Mulga Bill North. The company has identified several key areas for further investigation, including a “highly prospective” dacite corridor, where the new gold intersections are believed to be located. Drilling will focus on defining the extent of this new zone of mineralisation and testing additional target areas.
Paterson noted that there is still a significant portion of the project area that remains unexplored. “There is still an additional 1 kilometer of strike further to the north which, to date, has only been tested by shallow aircore drilling,” he added. This untested portion presents an exciting opportunity for the company to expand its resource base as the drilling campaign progresses.
Great Boulder is also optimistic about the future growth potential of the Side Well project. The company has already completed several rounds of reverse circulation drilling in the Mulga Bill North area and is actively working to incorporate this new data into an expanded mineral resource estimate for the broader Side Well Gold Project. This ongoing drilling will provide additional insights into the scale and quality of the gold system present in the region.
Wanbana Joint Venture: New Gold Targets in the Southern Region
In addition to the developments at Mulga Bill North, Great Boulder Resources has begun auger sampling over its newly acquired Wanbana joint venture tenements, located at the southern end of the Side Well Gold Project. This is part of the company’s broader exploration strategy to define new gold and pathfinder targets across the project area.
Paterson commented, “The team is actively working to identify new exploration targets, and the auger sampling will play an important role in defining further opportunities for gold mineralisation within the broader Side Well region.” The auger sampling is expected to provide important data to refine drilling targets in this southern section of the project, which has yet to be fully explored.
As part of its commitment to advancing exploration, Great Boulder Resources is planning a heritage survey for the first quarter of 2025. The results of this survey will enable the company to conduct drill testing in the newly identified areas, which could potentially lead to further gold discoveries.
Metallurgical Testwork Underway
While exploration is ongoing, Great Boulder Resources has also begun metallurgical testwork on a range of samples from the Mulga Bill deposit. The company is evaluating the metallurgical characteristics of the gold mineralisation to better understand the potential for extraction and processing.
The metallurgical results are expected to be released in January 2025, and they will provide valuable insights into the recovery rates and processing methods that may be applied to the gold resources identified at Mulga Bill. This is an important step in the overall project development, as it will help refine the economic viability of the project and inform future resource estimates.
The Side Well Project: A Growing Gold Exploration Asset
Great Boulder Resources’ Side Well Gold Project is rapidly becoming one of the company’s flagship assets. The project is located in the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia, a well-known mining district that hosts some of the world’s richest gold deposits. With multiple zones of mineralisation already identified and new discoveries being made, the Side Well Project has the potential to grow into a substantial gold resource.
The company’s approach to exploration at Side Well has been systematic and data-driven, with a strong emphasis on drilling and testing high-priority targets. With the recent discovery at Mulga Bill North and the planned follow-up drilling, Great Boulder Resources is well-positioned to continue expanding the project’s resource base in the coming months and years.
Looking Ahead: Exploration Plans for 2025 and Beyond
Looking ahead, Great Boulder’s exploration efforts at Side Well are poised for significant expansion. The company plans to continue drilling at Mulga Bill North and to extend its exploration to the northern and southern parts of the project area. With further testing of the dacite corridor and additional drilling in the unexplored strike areas, the company aims to define new zones of mineralisation and increase the overall size of the gold resource.
Furthermore, the exploration team is keen to continue testing the potential of the Wanbana tenements in the south. With a heritage survey and drill testing scheduled for 2025, this area could offer additional upside for the Side Well Project.
Great Boulder’s aggressive exploration campaign is complemented by its ongoing metallurgical testwork, which will provide crucial data to inform the economic development of the project. With a solid foundation of drilling results and new discoveries, the company is confident that Side Well has the potential to become a major gold resource in Western Australia.
Conclusion: A Bright Future for Great Boulder Resources
Great Boulder Resources has made a significant stride in its exploration efforts with the new gold discovery at Mulga Bill North. The results from the latest drilling program have opened up new opportunities for resource growth, and the company’s plans for 2025 include further drilling, exploration, and metallurgical testing. As the Side Well Gold Project continues to evolve, Great Boulder is positioning itself for what could be a successful and profitable future in the competitive gold mining sector. With promising results already in hand and several key exploration targets to pursue, Great Boulder Resources is on track to strengthen its position as a leading gold exploration company in Western Australia.
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