Iltani Resources Hits 19m at 343 g/t Silver Equivalent Lifting Resource Upgrade Hopes
Key Takeaways
- Standout hole ORR210 intercepted 19m @ 343 g/t Ag Eq. from 114m, including a high-grade core of 2m @ 2,561 g/t Ag Eq. (839 g/t Ag, 550 g/t In, 14.0% Pb & 19.3% Zn) from 120m — one of the strongest intercepts reported at Orient West to date.
- 13 of 16 infill holes delivered intercepts above the >1,000 gm/t Ag Eq. threshold, confirming broad grade and width continuity both along strike and down dip across the Orient West deposit.
- The Orient project hosts a JORC Resource of 62.5 Mt @ 81.5 g/t Ag Eq., containing 45.9 Moz silver and 725 tonnes of indium — Australia's largest and highest-grade known silver-indium deposit.
- Indium's critical mineral status and its role in AI data centre optical transceivers (via indium phosphide laser chips) adds a strategic technology-metals dimension to the project's polymetallic profile.
- An updated Mineral Resource Estimate is targeted for Q4 2026, feeding directly into a Scoping Study targeted for early 2027, with the 110-hole drilling program on track for completion in September 2026.
Orient West infill drilling confirms high-grade continuity
Iltani Resources (ASX: ILT) has reported assay results from 16 reverse circulation (RC) drillholes at Orient West, part of its Orient Silver-Indium Project in North Queensland, described as Australia’s largest and highest-grade known silver-indium project. The results confirm grade and width continuity both along strike and down dip, indicating potential to upgrade and extend the current Orient West Mineral Resource.
The two standout holes from the program are ORR210, which intercepted 19m @ 343 g/t Ag Eq. from 114m including 2m @ 2,561 g/t Ag Eq. (839 g/t Ag, 550 g/t In, 14.0% Pb & 19.3% Zn) from 120m, and ORR208, which returned 10m @ 308 g/t Ag Eq. from 66m including 1m @ 1,932 g/t Ag Eq. (687 g/t Ag, 192 g/t In, 13.3% Pb & 13.6% Zn) from 66m. Both holes delivered intercepts of >1,000 gm/t Ag (silver grade metres) and >1,000 gm/t Ag Eq. (silver equivalent grade metres). An additional 11 drillholes delivered 14 intercepts of mineralisation above the >1,000 gm/t Ag Eq. threshold.
Donald Garner, Managing Director
“The quality of these intercepts speak directly to the strength and continuity of the system… infill and step-out drilling is consistently confirming grade and width continuity down dip and along strike. This reinforces our view that there is clear potential to both upgrade and extend the current Orient West Mineral Resource as we incorporate the remaining assay results.”
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Standout intercepts from the Orient West program
ORR208 and ORR210 delivered the headline results. ORR208 intercepted 10m @ 308 g/t Ag Eq. from 66m, including 3m @ 974 g/t Ag Eq. from 66m, with a high-grade core of 1m @ 1,932 g/t Ag Eq. from 66m. ORR210 intercepted 19m @ 343 g/t Ag Eq. from 114m, including 8m @ 764 g/t Ag Eq. from 115m, including 2m @ 2,561 g/t Ag Eq. from 120m.
The remaining 11 holes also delivered material results, with notable intercepts including:
- ORR198: 22m @ 127 g/t Ag Eq. from 46m inc. 3m @ 470 g/t Ag Eq. from 46m
- ORR200: 18m @ 154 g/t Ag Eq. from 80m inc. 3m @ 364 g/t Ag Eq. from 89m plus 2m @ 471 g/t Ag Eq. from 95m
- ORR206: 11m @ 220 g/t Ag Eq. from 139m inc. 1m @ 1,213 g/t Ag Eq. (171 g/t Ag, 407 g/t In, 2.8% Pb & 14.9% Zn) from 146m
- ORR212: 4m @ 643 g/t Ag Eq. from 93m inc. 2m @ 1,178 g/t Ag Eq. (377 g/t Ag, 233 g/t In, 6.9% Pb & 8.9% Zn) from 93m
- ORR214: 9m @ 234 g/t Ag Eq. from 141m inc. 1m @ 1,488 g/t Ag Eq. (608 g/t Ag, 166 g/t In, 9.6% Pb & 9.2% Zn) from 148m
| Drillhole | From (m) | Intersection (m) | Ag Eq. g/t | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORR210 | 114 | 19 | 343 | Inc. 2m @ 2,561 g/t Ag Eq. (839 g/t Ag, 550 g/t In) from 120m |
| ORR208 | 66 | 10 | 308 | Inc. 1m @ 1,932 g/t Ag Eq. (687 g/t Ag, 192 g/t In) from 66m |
| ORR214 | 141 | 9 | 234 | Inc. 1m @ 1,488 g/t Ag Eq. (608 g/t Ag, 166 g/t In) from 148m |
| ORR212 | 93 | 4 | 643 | Inc. 2m @ 1,178 g/t Ag Eq. (377 g/t Ag, 233 g/t In) from 93m |
| ORR206 | 139 | 11 | 220 | Inc. 1m @ 1,213 g/t Ag Eq. (171 g/t Ag, 407 g/t In) from 146m |
| ORR198 | 46 | 22 | 127 | Inc. 3m @ 470 g/t Ag Eq. from 46m |
| ORR200 | 80 | 18 | 154 | Inc. 3m @ 364 g/t Ag Eq. from 89m plus 2m @ 471 g/t Ag Eq. from 95m |
What is silver equivalent grade, and why does indium matter?
Silver equivalent (Ag Eq.) is a normalisation tool that converts all metals in a drill intercept into a single comparable silver figure. Rather than reporting four separate grades for silver, lead, zinc, and indium, the Ag Eq. figure gives investors a single number to compare results across different holes and projects.
The formula Iltani uses is: Ag Eq. = Ag + (Pb × 35.5) + (Zn × 50.2) + (In × 0.47), based on commodity prices and assumed metal recovery rates. A higher Ag Eq. grade means the combined metal value of the intercept is greater, even if the silver grade alone appears modest.
Indium is a defined critical mineral, with its primary use in touchscreens as indium tin oxide and a growing role in AI data centre infrastructure. Indium phosphide (InP) is required to manufacture the laser chips that power high-speed optical transceivers, which are replacing copper wiring for data transmission inside data centres.
Why indium elevates Orient’s strategic value
Orient’s polymetallic profile, silver-rich galena (lead sulphide) and indium-rich sphalerite (zinc sulphide), positions it as a potential significant source of indium-rich concentrate alongside material silver, lead, and zinc production. The project’s existing JORC Resource totals 62.5 Mt @ 81.5 g/t Ag Eq. (23 g/t Ag, 12 g/t In, 0.6% Pb & 0.7% Zn), containing 45.9 Moz Ag, 725t In, 341 Kt Pb, 421 Kt Zn, and 163.8 Moz Ag Eq. in total, split between 38.8 Mt @ 81.7 g/t Ag Eq. Indicated and 23.7 Mt @ 81.2 g/t Ag Eq. Inferred.
The scale of the Orient project underpins why these infill results carry strategic weight: Australia’s largest silver-indium deposit carries a resource base large enough that confirmation of grade continuity at the intercept level translates into material upside at the total contained metal level.
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Resource update and Scoping Study: what comes next
The current drilling results are directly feeding a sequenced de-risking pathway toward a Scoping Study. The near-term milestones from the announcement are:
- The 110-hole drilling program was on track for completion in September 2026, with the drill rig on hole ORR239 at time of reporting
- Samples are submitted to Intertek Townsville every 3 to 4 days, with assay turnaround of approximately 1 to 2 months
- An updated Orient Mineral Resource Estimate is targeted for completion in Q4 2026
- The Orient Scoping Study is targeted for completion in early 2027
- Additional drilling is planned prior to the wet season to follow up mineralisation intersected outside current Mineral Resource areas
The updated Mineral Resource Estimate feeds directly into the Scoping Study, the next critical de-risking step toward feasibility and an open-pit resource assessment. Consistent confirmation of grade and width continuity across infill holes supports the potential to upgrade Inferred material to the higher-confidence Indicated classification. The Scoping Study results are not yet known.
Ready to Learn More About the Orient Silver-Indium Project?
Iltani Resources’ Orient West drilling program is consistently confirming high-grade silver and indium continuity across multiple intercepts, with standout results including 2m @ 2,561 g/t Ag Eq. supporting the potential to upgrade and extend Australia’s largest known silver-indium deposit. With an updated Mineral Resource Estimate targeted for Q4 2026 and a Scoping Study to follow in early 2027, the de-risking pathway is advancing on schedule.
Explore the full project details and investment case by visiting the Iltani Resources profile on Discovery Alert, where you can track upcoming milestones as the program moves toward its resource update and beyond.