Exploration across Chalice Mining’s Barrabarra copper-gold project in the West Yilgarn region of Western Australia has revealed the potential for two new ‘significant’ projects.
Barrabarra is directly north of the company’s Gonneville platinum group element-nickel-copper-cobalt, which has been outlined as new Tier-1, long-life, low-cost, low-carbon critical minerals mine.
In addition to the new gold targets at Barrabarra, the recent reconnaissance exploration across the 4600 square kilometre project identified extensive areas of newly recognised greenstone belt geology.
Chalice has conducted a significant multi-year, multi-commodity reconnaissance exploration program in the area since 2021 as part of its broader strategic focus on unlocking the mineral potential of the West Yilgarn Province beyond the Gonneville deposit.
The newly identified areas are almost entirely undrilled, which Chalice chief executive officer and managing director Alex Dorsch said highlights the gold-copper prospectivity of the region.
“The discovery of the Gonneville deposit effectively unlocked a new mineral province along the western margin of the Yilgarn Craton – one that is still at an early stage in its discovery history,” Dorsch said.
“Building on the Gonneville discovery, Chalice’s exploration team has made solid progress in identifying new areas with strong discovery potential.
“This work has culminated in delineation of two new very large gold targets, one of which is hosted within an unrecognised greenstone belt, and another in the Koolanooka greenstone belt, both of which are planned for drilling later this year.
“We intend to systematically explore these targets to see if we can make further breakthrough discoveries.”
Drill programs are scheduled for the rest of 2024 at Barrabarra after cropping activities, with timing subject to heritage clearance, statutory government approvals and landholder consents.
Exploration across the West Yilgarn is continuing in parallel with the Gonneville pre-feasibility study, which is evaluating a staged, high-grade development scenario, with ongoing critical path workstreams including metallurgical testwork, flowsheet development, geo-met domaining and regulatory approvals.
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