ASX-listed precious and base metals explorer, developer and producer West Wits Mining reports that farm-in joint venture partner Rio Tinto Exploration (RTX) has started a maiden drilling programme at its Mt Cecelia project, in the Paterson Province of Western Australia.
The initial three-hole reverse circulation drilling programme has target depths of 300 m a hole and is anticipated to be completed by mid-November.
Following this, the exploration team will prepare and send samples to ALS laboratories for assaying.
West Wits MD and CEO Jac van Heerden says the drilling at Mt Cecelia will transition the highly-prospective exploration tenement into an “exciting stage” of exploration.
He adds that RTX’s regional expertise, workforce and funding enables it to progress the project’s promising electromagnetic prospecting results, while the West Wits team focuses on executing the development strategy at its 4.28-million-ounce gold project in South Africa.
Thus far, RTX has completed track clearing and site preparation at the high priority SGC-1 target in the far north of the tenement (E45/5045), thereby enabling the drilling campaign to get underway
Identified targets at Mt Cecelia have been defined thus far using ground-based and airborne electromagnetic surveys that were undertaken by West Wits in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
The anomalies identified are interpreted as potential bedrock conductors that may represent base metal sulphide mineralisation.
In line with the new drilling campaign, West Wits will issue 35-million ordinary shares to the vendors of Northern Reserves as part of the purchase consideration.