AUS
NZ
UK
CA
USA
IND
Highlights
- Bull Oak deposit delivers notable gold intersections.
- Vanguard and Ladybird deposits reveal promising high-grade zones.
- Ongoing drilling supports resource expansion at Sandstone.
Alto Metals Ltd (ASX:AME) continues to unlock potential at its Sandstone Gold Project in Western Australia, with recent drilling revealing significant high-grade gold mineralisation across several deposits. The Sandstone Project, which has already shown promising results, demonstrated notable intersections at key sites, including the Bull Oak, Vanguard North, and Ladybird deposits.
Impressive Results at Bull Oak
The Bull Oak deposit emerged as a standout, delivering impressive drilling results that included a broad 212-metre intersection averaging 1.2 g/t gold, starting at a depth of 28 metres. This broad intersection included a peak of 1 metre at 116 g/t, showcasing the high-grade mineralisation potential within the region. These results highlight the continuity of mineralisation across high-grade quartz reefs within Bull Oak, suggesting potential extensions to the current resource area.
A separate drill hole at Bull Oak, located approximately 90 metres southwest, returned 48 metres at 0.6 g/t gold from a depth of 83 metres, further supporting expansion potential in the surrounding granodiorite rock. This nearby intersection also showed a high point of 9.6 g/t over one metre, reinforcing the area's mineralisation profile.
Vanguard and Ladybird Deposits Show Further High-Grade Zones
At Vanguard North, located near Bull Oak, drilling extended the known mineralisation limits. An 80-metre step-out drill hole intercepted a high-grade quartz reef, yielding 6 metres at 1.9 g/t gold from a depth of 148 metres, including a peak of 1 metre at 10.4 g/t gold. This suggests further potential beyond the established boundaries of Vanguard North, especially as drilling is expanding across this area.
In a new target area along the same trend, around 500 metres along strike from Vanguard North, drilling uncovered additional mineralisation with results of 1 metre at 3.9 g/t gold from 115 metres. Meanwhile, at the Ladybird deposit, located 5 kilometres north of Vanguard, recent drilling intercepted high-grade zones, notably 9 metres at 2.2 g/t gold from 70 metres, with a peak interval reaching 10.6 g/t over one metre.
Project Expansion and Future Prospects
The Sandstone Project currently holds an estimated 65,000 ounces of gold based on 1.9 million tonnes at 1.1 g/t gold at Bull Oak, with potential for further growth from these latest drilling results. An exploration target, announced in June 2024, anticipates up to 8.8 million tonnes at 1.3 g/t gold, suggesting a potential resource of 295,000 ounces of gold.
This recent phase of reverse circulation drilling, covering 3,440 metres across 28 holes, targets the continuity and expansion of mineralised zones at the Sandstone Project, as well as the discovery of new gold-bearing zones. Metallurgical test work at Bull Oak has shown recovery rates exceeding 90% through cyanide leaching, which supports the economic feasibility of the deposit. Additional metallurgical studies are planned to enhance development at the project.
Alto Metals remains focused on its drilling campaign to test these targets further, expanding resource potential and revealing the scale of mineralisation across its Sandstone Gold Project in Western Australia.
