By Ethan Benedicto.

Maritana Minerals has returned a headline intercept of 0.48m at 25.19 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 224.63m at its Burbanks gold project, extending high-grade mineralisation beneath the Main Lode near Coolgardie in Western Australia.

The result from drillhole 26HBBD062 was accompanied by 0.76m at 9.02g/t gold from 231.42m, including 0.38m at 16.41g/t. The same hole also intersected 4m at 1.59g/t from 234m, including 0.48m at 3.41g/t, along with several narrower mineralised intervals.

Other results included 2.1m at 3.33g/t gold from 215m in hole 26HBBD054, and 3.89m at 2.25g/t from 299.11m in hole 26HBBD056, including 2m at 3.69g/t. A separate one-metre interval grading 8.23g/t gold was reported from 307m in the same hole.

The assays cover the first 11 holes from Maritana’s completed 20-hole phase 2 resource definition program, which totalled about 6400m, with drilling combining infill work within the existing resource with testing for extensions to the main lode mineralisation.

Maritana said the results had improved its understanding of the host lithology, orebody continuity and structural controls at Burbanks, as well as the scope for mineralisation to extend beyond the current resource.

The program is also intended to support conversion of inferred resources to the indicated category and underpin future ore reserve work.

Managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) Grant Haywood said the campaign was strengthening the project’s development case.

“Phase 2 drilling has successfully extended the high-grade mineralised footprint at depth below the main lode, with consistent intercepts confirming continuity of the Burbanks shear,” Haywood said.

“The ongoing success of the drilling program continues to de-risk the project and enhance development potential.

“Burbanks Underground is firming as a new potential source of feed for Maritana’s 100 per cent owned Black Swan processing hub to enhance and extend our existing LOM plan.”

Burbanks underground is not included in the current life-of-mine plan for the Black Swan Processing Hub, giving the deposit potential to add feed and extend the operating schedule.

The wider Burbanks project hosts a JORC 2012 mineral resource of 6.1 million tonnes at 2.4g/t gold for 466,000 ounces, and Maritana owns the project outright and has been running a two-phase extensional and infill program since June 2025.

Final assays from phase 2 are expected during the September quarter, and a resource update incorporating phase 1 drilling is also due in the quarter, with phase 2 results scheduled to feed into a further update in the December quarter. Drilling at Burbanks South is planned for next quarter.

Read the full article here.