Reach Resources Limited has completed a grade control reverse circulation drill program at the proposed NW Pit within the Murchison South Gold Project near Payne's Find in Western Australia, with assay results expected in early October.

The program comprised 163 reverse circulation holes for a total of approximately 4,238 metres arranged on a 10-metre by 10-metre grid pattern. The company originally planned a ~5,200-metre program across 200 holes, but adjusted the scope because the tight grid spacing frequently intersected old gold workings where close drilling was deemed unsafe. The reduction did not affect the program's objectives, ensuring sufficient holes covered the targeted first five proposed mining benches to inform mine planning and scheduling by Andel Resources subsidiary SMS Mining Pty Ltd.

Building on the grade control work, the company has started a ~2,000-metre step-out expansion reverse circulation drill program. This follow-up work comprises approximately 24 holes targeting up and down strike extensions of the Primrose Shear feeder structure beyond the currently proposed pits, alongside an untested area of dense old gold workings located to the south-east. Drilling is scheduled for completion by early October, with assay results anticipated in late November.

"With grade control drilling now complete at the NW Pit, we have moved straight into a step out program designed to test the extensions of the Primrose Shear and in particular test a concentrated area of old gold workings which lie outside of the current MRE and to the south-east of our current proposed pits."

"This program has the potential to grow the footprint of the Murchison South gold system at what is still a very early stage of the Project's development and reflects the confidence we and our partners at Andel continue to have in the broader potential of this system"

— Jeremy Bower, Chief Executive Officer

Under an August agreement, Andel fully funds upfront pre-mining, mining, haulage, and processing costs for the project in exchange for a 50/50 net project profit share. The Murchison South portfolio includes the Blue Heaven deposit, which holds a Mineral Resource Estimate of 80,000 ounces of gold at 3.0 grams per tonne established in April.

Read the full announcement: Murchison South Advances to Step Out Drilling