Gateway Mining Ramps Up Yandal Gold Project Exploration
Gateway Mining has significantly accelerated its exploration activities at the flagship Yandal gold project in Western Australia, bringing forward drilling plans to capitalise on the emerging Haflinger discovery. The company has mobilised two aircore rigs, with the first already conducting infill and step-out drilling around the Haflinger mineralised zone.
Haflinger Discovery Shows Strong Mineralisation
Initial drilling at Haflinger has intersected gold mineralisation over an impressive strike length of approximately 500 metres, with several standout intercepts highlighting the system's potential. The most notable result includes a substantial 52-metre interval grading 1.4 grams per tonne gold from 64 metres depth, containing a higher-grade section of 12 metres at 3.1g/t gold.
Additional significant intercepts from earlier drilling include:
- 2 metres at 3.4g/t gold from 148 metres to bottom of hole
- 6 metres grading 1.4g/t gold from 144 metres
- 4 metres going 2.9g/t gold from 148 metres within a broader 16-metre zone at 1.0g/t gold
Gateway reports that the mineralisation occurs within a highly favourable structural setting where the mafic-intermediate rock contact flexes to the south-east. Importantly, drilling remains open to the south where geological conditions appear to be improving, suggesting further expansion potential for the discovery.
Systematic Exploration Strategy
The first aircore rig is currently completing closer-spaced drilling to the north and south of existing intercepts to better delineate the Haflinger structure ahead of planned reverse circulation (RC) drilling. Management considers this phase crucial for understanding the true scale of the Haflinger system.
Simultaneously, the second aircore rig is systematically testing the Mustang shear structure to the south, where Gateway anticipates making discoveries similar to Haflinger. The Mustang area presents a comparable geological setting with significant deformation and complexity, supported by historic rotary air blast drilling that returned anomalous gold results, though previous work failed to adequately penetrate the weathered profile.
Gateway aims to complete first-pass drilling at Mustang as quickly as possible, allowing any discoveries to be rapidly followed up with RC drilling alongside Haflinger. The company has accelerated drilling plans to define the extent of the Haflinger discovery in preparation for follow-up RC programs.
Strategic Location and Existing Resources
The Yandal project occupies a strategic position just 85 kilometres northeast of Wiluna, covering a vast 1,780 square kilometres on the eastern flank of the world-class Yandal Greenstone Belt. This belt represents one of Australia's most prolific gold-producing regions and hosts Northern Star Resources' Jundee mine in close proximity to Gateway's tenure.
Gateway's broader Yandal project already contains a substantial resource of 8.17 million tonnes grading 1.52g/t gold for 400,400 ounces, centred on the Horse Well Gold Camp and the Dusk 'til Dawn deposit. This provides a solid foundation for ongoing exploration success.
Forward Exploration Plans
Reverse circulation drilling is scheduled to commence in approximately six weeks, initially focusing on the Great Western area where widespread surface gold anomalism and abundant gold nuggets have been identified within a highly favourable geological setting.
Once assay results from the broader Mustang-Celia shear corridor aircore program become available, drilling will pivot to initial RC programs at Haflinger and any additional discoveries warranting follow-up. The Haflinger discovery emerged from wide-spaced, shallow aircore drilling along the company's regional-scale Celia Shear structure, tapping into the same fertile structure that hosts Gateway's existing high-grade gold resource.
With gold prices maintaining strength, Gateway is aggressively advancing its Yandal gold strategy as it seeks the next significant discovery in one of Western Australia's most productive gold belts.
