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Murray Ward
Zenith Minerals Ltd has wasted no time putting the rig to work at its Consolidated Dulcie gold project in WA’s Southern Cross region, officially kicking off a high-impact drilling campaign just weeks after locking in a substantial resource at site.
The Western Australian gold hunter has mobilised a reverse circulation rig to run an eight-hole 1,350-metre program aimed at sniffing out grade uplifts and fresh ounces right next door to its current deposit.
The move follows the recent definition of an inferred mineral resource at the project, totalling 21.3 million tonnes at 1.0 gram per tonne (g/t) gold for 675,000 ounces. Bagging an impressive start, Zenith says it is now hungry to add to its inventory, focusing on high-confidence zones that can rapidly move the needle on both scale and quality.
At its Dulcie South prospect, the drill bit will zero in on a key gap in the resource model, chasing down-dip extensions of shallow, high-grade zones from previously cleared pads. By filling in the blanks, the company expects to significantly boost the continuity and confidence of the existing resource.
‘We are targeting high-confidence, near-resource opportunities.’
Zenith Minerals managing director Andrew Smith
Further north at Scott’s Grey, five reverse-circulation holes are being punched into the dirt to test for lateral and down-dip extensions of high-grade mineralisation.
Previous hits at Scott’s Grey included 3 metres at 7.40 g/t gold from 71m in one hole and 11m at 3.53 g/t gold from 66m from a second, suggesting there is plenty of high-margin potential still to be tapped beyond the current outlined resource.
Zenith Minerals managing director Andrew Smith said: ”We are targeting high-confidence, near-resource opportunities where we see clear potential to rapidly add ounces, improve grade distribution and enhance overall resource quality.”
Adding further weight to the project, the company is in the midst of snapping up mining lease M77/599, which covers a vital one-kilometre strike gap between its Dulcie North and Dulcie prospects. Management believes unifying these zones could be the key to unlocking a major scale-up across the 6-kilometre central corridor.
Meanwhile, beyond the immediate drill targets, Zenith is also set to focus its exploration efforts across a much wider area characterised by a massive 19-kilometre mineralised trend within its tenure.
The company has identified multiple parallel shear zones outside the main trend, where historical drilling has confirmed encouraging gold mineralisation.
In a savvy, low-cost move, the geos have also re-assayed old lithium drill core for gold, aiming to generate new targets across the 360-square-kilometre landholding without the need for cash-draining regional exploration.
Where Dulcie begins to look like more than just another resource-growth story is the development optionality afforded by its location. Zenith says the project sits on granted mining leases and already benefits from sealed-road access, power and water – key ingredients that can fast-track a project from discovery to development.
Notably, the company has also kicked off early-stage feasibility work, examining staged open-pit mining scenarios alongside low-capital processing options such as ore sales or toll treatment.
Dulcie’s position near established gold infrastructure could prove a major advantage. The project lies within trucking distance of operating processing hubs, including the Marvel Loch processing plant about 40 kilometres away and the Edna May gold mine, both of which could provide potential treatment pathways if the resource continues to grow and the metallurgy stacks up.
Zenith appears determined to show its 675,000-ounce resource is only the first chapter for the Consolidated Dulcie gold project. With the drill bit now turning across a massive 19-kilometre trend, punters will be glued to the news flow as it hunts for the high-grade hits that could quickly transform Dulcie – and the company – into the ranks of Western Australia’s emerging gold players.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au
