Iltani Resources’ drilling has defined the high-grade zone at Orient West to a strike of 700m. Pic: Getty Images
Iltani’s Orient West a true prize as drilling extends high-grade zone to 700m strike
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- Iltani drilling has outlined the high-grade silver-lead-zinc-indium zone at Orient West over a strike of more than 700m
- Intersections of up to 1552g/t AgEq are high enough to justify heading underground from an open pit
- Assays pending from a further four holes before work starts to define an exploration target for Orient West
Special Report: Further silver-lead-zinc-indium intersections of up to 1552g/t silver equivalent have defined the high-grade zone at Iltani Resources’ Orient West system to a strike extent of more than 700m.
Orient West is part of Iltani Resources’ (ASX:ILT) Orient project, which sits in the historical mining area of Herberton in northern Queensland and produced ~6600t of high-grade ore averaging 46oz/t silver and 40% lead between 1886 and 1924.
This historical production points to a large-scale system of outcropping silver-lead-zinc-indium mineralisation, likely hosted in a deeper porphyry complex at the project.
ILT started drilling the Orient West and East targets in August 2023, the first time a hole had been punched since the early 1980s.
This program delivered multiple hits of silver-lead-zinc-indium-tin mineralisation, “confirming (the) potential of (the) Orient system to host a world class discovery”, the company says.
More recently, the drill program that started in May has raised the project’s ceiling, with a hole 650m south-west of Orient West striking multiple silver-lead-zinc-indium veins well outside historically mined areas at the high priority A2 geophysical anomaly.
Subsequent holes also indicated the potential for significant strike extensions.
This could deliver significant growth for ILT, at the same time as its underlying commodity silver is at multi-year highs due to safe haven investing and growing industrial use in solar panels.
Indium is a handy addition, the rare commodity increasingly needed for electronics and semiconductors.
Highest grade intersected to date
Since then, the return of more drill holes intersecting mineralised veins has reinforced the company’s dream of defining a high-grade core at Orient West.
Notable assays from the latest batch include the highest grade mineralisation intersected at Orient to date by the company in hole ORR030.
This hole returned a top intersection of 9m grading 334g/t silver equivalent (67g/t silver, 110g/t indium, 1.3% lead and 3.4% zinc) from 23m including 1m at 1552AgEq (266g/t silver, 500g/t indium, 5% lead and 17.4% zinc) from 28m.
ORR030 is 400m along strike from high-grade mineralisation intercepted in ORR021, which returned 5m at 440g/t AgEq, demonstrating the potential for Orient West to host a high-grade silver-indium resource.
Other notable intersections include:
- 46m at 37g/t AgEq from 6m, 13m at 68g/t AgEq from 58m and 5m at 80g/t AgEq from 133m (ORR029); and,
- 20m at 77g/t AgEq from 190m (ORR031).
ILT notes that all mineralisation intercepted is open down dip and up dip while the mineralisation remains open along strike.
Drilling to date has defined mineralisation at Orient West over a strike of at least 1250m and to a depth of 150m and is beginning to build a high-grade core over at least 700m of strike.
“The high-grade mineralisation intersected in ORR030 is 400m along strike from the high-grade mineralisation intersected in ORR021, demonstrating the potential of the Orient West vein system to host a high-grade silver-lead-zinc-indium resource within a far bigger mineralised envelope,” managing director Donald Garner said.
“The results reinforce the potential to build a high-grade core at Orient West, and we believe the high-grade core could have a strike extent of more than 700m. It is particularly pleasing to see intersections at grades that we could potentially chase underground from an open pit.
“Looking at what we have achieved to date at Orient West, plus adding in what we have at Orient East, confirms our belief that Orient is Australia’s most exciting silver exploration project with potential to host a large silver-indium deposit.”
More assays pending
ILT is currently awaiting assays for a further four reverse circulation holes drilled to the southeast.
Once all results are received, its technical consultant Mining One will define an exploration target for Orient West.
This article was developed in collaboration with Iltani Resources, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.
This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.
