Avira Resources Resumes Drilling at Mt Cattlin Targeting Highest-Grade Untested Prospects
Key Takeaways
- Strike Drilling is mobilising its RC rig to Mt Cattlin this week, resuming the approved 4,500m Phase 1 program with approximately 2,500 metres remaining across 19 holes.
- Sirdar — historically the highest-grade prospect on the project with intercepts including 1m @ 131.24 g/t Au and 6m @ 50.07 g/t Au — will be drill-tested by Avira for the first time in this phase.
- Ellendale will also receive its maiden Avira drill test, with historical widths of 10m @ 2.70 g/t Au and 13m @ 1.51 g/t Au suggesting meaningful scale potential.
- The first 18 holes at Maori Queen and Plantagenet confirmed high-grade gold over a 650m strike length, with mineralisation open at depth, providing strong momentum into this next phase.
- A maiden Mineral Resource Estimate remains the primary target for Mt Cattlin, with a potential Phase 2 RC program covering the broader New Zealand Trend corridor already holding all necessary approvals.
Drilling resumes at high-grade Mt Cattlin as rig mobilises to site
Avira Resources (ASX: AVW) has confirmed that Strike Drilling, its appointed Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling contractor, is mobilising its rig and crew to the Mt Cattlin Gold Project near Ravensthorpe in Western Australia, with drilling expected to resume this week (week of 22 September 2026).
The resumption continues an approved 4,500m Phase 1 RC program across 37 holes. The first tranche of 18 holes (1,910m), designated RAGC100–118, was completed at the Maori Queen and Plantagenet prospects before drilling was suspended over winter 2026 due to wet conditions. The remaining approximately 2,500 metres will now be drilled.
Andrew van Bentum, CEO, Avira Resources
“With the rig now mobilising back to Mt Cattlin, we move straight from an outstanding first tranche of results into an exciting phase of exploration. Our first 18 holes confirmed high-grade gold continuing at depth at Maori Queen, with standout results also returned at Plantagenet. We’re taking that momentum into testing our highest-priority targets at Sirdar, which historical drilling suggests could host the highest grades of any prospect on the project, and to Ellendale, both of which will be drill-tested by Avira for the first time.”
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Sirdar and Ellendale — Avira’s highest-priority untested targets
Sirdar: highest grades on the project, never drilled by Avira
Sirdar is the most extensively drilled prospect at Mt Cattlin historically, and geological review interprets it to host the highest grades and largest mineralised footprint of any prospect in the project area. Despite this, Sirdar has not yet been tested by Avira’s own drilling, making this phase a genuine first-drill opportunity for the company.
Historical intersections from earlier programs include 1.00m @ 131.24 g/t Au and 6.00m @ 50.07 g/t Au (see ASX announcement 24 March 2026). First-pass RC drilling by Avira commences at Sirdar this week.
Ellendale: encouraging historical widths adding scale potential
Ellendale, located north-west of Sirdar, adds a different dimension to the program, with historical results showing meaningful widths rather than ultra-high grades. Intersections include 10.00m @ 2.70 g/t Au from 77m and 13.00m @ 1.51 g/t Au from 24m (see ASX announcement 24 March 2026).
Like Sirdar, Ellendale will be drill-tested by Avira for the first time in this phase.
What the first 18 holes revealed — Maori Queen and Plantagenet
Assay results for all 18 holes of the maiden Phase 1 program were reported to the ASX on 6 August 2026 and 13 August 2026. The results confirmed high-grade gold mineralisation over a 650m strike length at Maori Queen and the New Zealand Trend corridor, with mineralisation remaining open at depth.
The table below presents standout intercepts from the first tranche:
| Hole ID | Prospect | From (m) | Intercept | Grade (g/t Au) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAGC116 | Maori Queen | 105m | 7m @ 6.11 g/t Au | incl. 2m @ 15.1 g/t Au |
| RAGC108 | Maori Queen | 23m | 4m @ 3.86 g/t Au | incl. 1m @ 13.75 g/t Au |
| RAGC117 | Maori Queen | 106m | 5m @ 1.85 g/t Au | incl. 1m @ 7.47 g/t Au |
| RAGC113 | Maori Queen | 37m | 8m @ 1.4 g/t Au | — |
| RAGC102 | Plantagenet | 16m | 8m @ 2.77 g/t Au | incl. 2m @ 9.68 g/t Au |
| RAGC101 | Plantagenet | 67m | 1m @ 6.14 g/t Au | — |
A potential Phase 2 RC program covering the broader New Zealand Trend corridor is under review, with all necessary approvals already in place.
Understanding RC drilling and why it matters for investors
Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling is a method where compressed air is forced down the drill string, pushing fragmented rock chips back to the surface through the outer casing. Those chips are then sampled and analysed for mineralisation. It is faster and more cost-effective than diamond drilling, which extracts a continuous solid core, making RC the industry standard for first-pass gold exploration where the goal is efficiently testing multiple targets across a project area.
For Avira, the distinction matters practically. First-pass RC results at Sirdar and Ellendale will determine whether deeper follow-up drilling at those prospects is warranted. Every metre drilled in this phase is building the dataset needed to define targets for a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), which is the formal, independently verified calculation of how much gold a project may contain and at what grade. That estimate is a key milestone for any junior explorer seeking to demonstrate the economic potential of a project.
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What comes next for Avira at Mt Cattlin
The company’s near-term roadmap from this point is straightforward:
- First-pass RC drilling at Sirdar and Ellendale commences this week
- Down-dip extension testing at Maori Queen to follow
- Assay results to be released progressively as received from the laboratory
- A Phase 2 RC program for the broader New Zealand Trend corridor is under review, with all necessary approvals already in place
- A maiden Mineral Resource Estimate remains the primary target for the project
For context, Mt Cattlin sits 4km north of Ravensthorpe, adjacent to the large-scale Mt Cattlin Lithium Mine and 15km north-west of Medallion Metals’ Kundip Gold Project (1.1Moz Au). The historical production record from Maori Queen and Sirdar combined stands at 23,006 tonnes at 24.56 g/t Au, which speaks to the high-grade character of the mineralised system Avira is now systematically testing. Mt Cattlin remains the company’s primary exploration focus.
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