Maritana Minerals Hits Gold Below Pit 4 Floor Keeping 2027 Restart on Track
Key Takeaways
- RC drilling at Boorara has confirmed gold mineralisation extends below the planned Pit 4 floor — already approximately 90 metres below the current limits of previous mining — and remains open at depth.
- The headline depth-extension intercept from hole BOORD260043 returned 23m @ 1.80 g/t Au from 177m and 6m @ 3.68 g/t Au from 203m, both below the designed pit shell.
- The 119-hole, 17,246m Boorara programme is complete, with assays received for 67 holes and remaining results expected early in the December 2026 quarter.
- An updated Mineral Resource Estimate incorporating all programme results is planned for the March 2027 quarter, to be followed by pit optimisation work below the current Pit 4 design.
- Maritana Minerals is targeting a mining restart at Boorara in mid-2027, with Boorara identified as a key ore source for the Black Swan Processing Hub.
Gold mineralisation at Boorara confirmed beyond planned Pit 4 floor
RC drilling at the 100%-owned Boorara Gold Project has extended gold mineralisation below the floor of the planned Pit 4 open pit, with mineralisation remaining open at depth. Maritana Minerals (ASX: MRT) announced the results on 24 September 2026 from the project located 17km east of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in the Western Australian Goldfields.
The 119-hole, 17,246m Boorara program is now complete. Assays have been received and reported for the first 67 holes, with remaining assays expected early in the December 2026 quarter. These results form part of the broader approximately 60,000m resource conversion campaign underway across multiple projects, and are positive for resource growth potential ahead of the targeted mid-2027 mining restart.
When big ASX news breaks, our subscribers know first
Standout intercepts — what the drill results show
The headline results come from hole BOORD260043, which intersected mineralisation below the planned Pit 4 floor. The Pit 4 floor is already approximately 90 metres below the current limits of previous mining, making these depth-extension intercepts particularly significant for resource growth potential.
All intercepts below are downhole lengths, not true widths.
Depth-extension intercepts (BOORD260043 — below planned Pit 4 floor):
- 23m @ 1.80 g/t Au from 177m, including 1m @ 6.88 g/t Au from 181m
- 6m @ 3.68 g/t Au from 203m, including 1m @ 13.87 g/t Au from 205m
These intercepts are visible on Cross Section 3 (Figure 4 in the announcement), which shows BOORD260043 extending below the designed pit shell.
Notable infill intercepts (supporting planned mining activities):
- 19m @ 2.32 g/t Au from 142m, including 1m @ 4.80 g/t Au from 158m (BOORD260042)
- 24m @ 2.38 g/t Au from 122m, including 3m @ 4.91 g/t Au from 139m (BOORD260058)
- 25m @ 1.88 g/t Au from 150m, including 2m @ 10.91 g/t Au from 160m (BOORD260045)
- 4m @ 8.52 g/t Au from 141m, including 1m @ 29.14 g/t Au from 143m (BOORD260039)
- 1m @ 145.07 g/t Au from 105m (BOORD260024)
The 1m @ 145.07 g/t Au result is a narrow, bonanza-style hit. It is a notable data point, but a single narrow interval — the broader programme intercepts provide the more representative picture of mineralisation continuity.
| Hole ID | Intercept | Grade (g/t Au) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOORD260043 | 23m from 177m | 1.80 g/t Au (incl. 1m @ 6.88) | Depth extension |
| BOORD260043 | 6m from 203m | 3.68 g/t Au (incl. 1m @ 13.87) | Depth extension |
| BOORD260042 | 19m from 142m | 2.32 g/t Au (incl. 1m @ 4.80) | Infill |
| BOORD260058 | 24m from 122m | 2.38 g/t Au (incl. 3m @ 4.91) | Infill |
| BOORD260045 | 25m from 150m | 1.88 g/t Au (incl. 2m @ 10.91) | Infill |
All intercepts are downhole lengths, not true widths.
CEO’s take on the results
Grant Haywood, Managing Director and CEO
“These results confirm that gold mineralisation at Boorara extends beyond the floor of the planned Pit 4 – which is already approximately 90 metres below the current limits of previous mining – and remains open at depth. Once all assays from the program are received, they will be incorporated into an updated Mineral Resource Estimate for Boorara and assessed in pit optimisation work below the current design as we work towards a restart of mining at Boorara in mid-2027.”
Understanding resource conversion drilling — what it means for investors
Resource conversion drilling, also called resource definition drilling, is a programme designed to improve the confidence and classification of a known mineral deposit. It is not exploration in the traditional sense — the gold is already known to be there. The goal is to drill closely enough that geologists can model the orebody with greater precision.
Mineral resources are classified by confidence level. An Inferred resource (the lowest confidence category under the JORC Code) is based on limited data. Drilling on a tighter spacing can upgrade material to Indicated or Measured, which carries higher confidence and supports mine planning, financing, and feasibility studies. More confident resource classifications can directly improve a project’s bankability with lenders and investors.
A Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) is the formal, JORC-compliant statement of the tonnes and grade of mineralisation within a deposit. When new drilling data is incorporated into an updated MRE, it can change both the size and the confidence classification of the resource. Either outcome, or both together, can affect a project’s economics.
“Open at depth” is a technical term meaning the drilling programme has not yet defined the lower boundary of the mineralisation. In plain terms, the gold-bearing rock continues beyond the deepest holes drilled. This leaves open the possibility that additional tonnes could be added to a future resource estimate as deeper drilling is completed.
The next major ASX story will hit our subscribers first
Path to production — what comes next
The company has outlined a clear sequence of near-term milestones:
- Remaining assay results from the 119-hole Boorara programme — expected early in the December 2026 quarter
- Orebody reinterpretation and updated Mineral Resource Estimate — planned for completion during the March 2027 quarter
- Further pit optimisation work below the current Pit 4 design — to follow the MRE update
- Multi-stage grade control drilling — to be designed and completed prior to open pit ore production
- Mining restart at Boorara — targeted mid-2027
Boorara’s role in the Black Swan Processing Hub
Boorara is noted as one of the key ore sources for the Black Swan Processing Hub. Mining at the project was paused in December 2025, and the site is currently on care and maintenance, with pre-production planning, site layout, and grade control drilling underway. A mining restart remains targeted for mid-2027.
Don’t Miss the Next ASX Gold Breakout
Get FREE breaking ASX gold news delivered to your inbox within minutes of release, complete with in-depth analysis already done for you. Join 30,000+ subscribers staying ahead of the market the moment announcements hit. Click the “Free Alerts” button at Discovery Alert to start receiving alerts before the market moves.