Yandal Resources Starts 3,300m Drilling to Test if Arrakis Gold Grades Hold at Depth
Key Takeaways
- Yandal has begun a seven-hole, 3,300m diamond program at Arrakis, with three holes complete and finishing expected by early November.
- Holes 26IWBDD0016 and 26IWBDD0017 intersected the interpreted Arrakis structure, but assays are not due until late October.
- Domain C is anchored by 20m @ 8.7g/t Au including 3m @ 52.8g/t Au, though the company says closer-spaced drilling is needed to confirm continuity.
- Anders, 900m west of Arrakis, returned 6m @ 2.5g/t Au and shares key geological features with Arrakis, but remains an early-stage target needing air-core follow-up.
- The 100% owned IWB project covers 456km² with 450,200oz of combined resources, and November brings air-core assays at Flushing Meadows and Giedi Prime.
Arrakis diamond drilling recommences with 3,300m program underway
Yandal Resources has started a seven-hole, 3,300m diamond drilling program at Arrakis, part of its Ironstone Well-Barwidgee (IWB) Gold Project in Western Australia. Three holes are complete, and the program is expected to finish by early November.
The 8 October 2026 update also covers RC (reverse circulation) results from the parallel Anders target and further diamond results from Flushing Meadows. Geological logging indicates that holes 26IWBDD0016 and 26IWBDD0017 intersected the interpreted Arrakis structure, though assay results have not yet been reported.
The program aims to assess whether the grade, width and scale of high-grade mineralisation improve with depth. It follows the recent delineation of the high-grade Domain C at Arrakis.
Program aim (paraphrased from the announcement)
The company says the diamond holes are designed to test whether grade, width and scale of high-grade mineralisation at Arrakis improve with depth.
For investors, depth is the open question. A shallow high-grade zone is interesting, but one that holds up and widens underground is what can turn a prospect into something larger.
Domain C sets the benchmark
Domain C was identified from previously reported intercepts, summarised below. Figures are down-hole intercepts, with estimated true width (ETW) shown alongside.
| Hole | Intercept | From | ETW |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26IWBRC0120 | 20m @ 8.7g/t Au, including 6m @ 28.3g/t Au and 3m @ 52.8g/t Au | 84m | 13m |
| 26IWBRC0117D | 24.2m @ 1.4g/t Au | 237.8m | 18m |
| 26IWBRC0121D | 17.5m @ 2.3g/t Au | 127.5m | 14m |
| 25IWBRC0042 | 50m @ 1.3g/t Au | 122m | 20m |
These are previously reported results, not new data. The company notes that closer-spaced drilling is needed to verify geological and grade continuity along strike, so Domain C remains an interpretation to be tested.
The standout 3m @ 52.8g/t Au interval sits within what Yandal has described as a record high-grade Arrakis intercept, and it anchors the interpretation of Domain C.
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Anders delivers a parallel target 900m west of Arrakis
RC drilling at Anders returned 6m @ 2.5g/t Au from 52m in 26IWBRC0135, including 4m @ 3.5g/t Au from 52m. Secondary results were 5m @ 0.6g/t Au in 26IWBRC0137 and 5m @ 0.4g/t Au in 26IWBRC0136.
The program, completed in July, comprised six RC holes for 1,200m, and all results have now been received. They show primary fresh rock mineralisation tied to a deformed and altered porphyry on the 5,350mN drill line.
The company describes this as an “early-stage” outcome, so it is a target rather than a discovery. The northern end of Anders shares several large-scale similarities with Arrakis:
- Proximity to a gravity margin.
- Bracketing by interpreted north-south structures.
- Early and subsequently deformed porphyry dykes associated with mineralisation.
Yandal will follow up with an air-core program to assess the scale of the early-stage target. Scale is what separates a curiosity from a project, so that follow-up matters.
Understanding diamond drilling and why depth testing matters
RC drilling gives rapid, broad sampling by returning rock chips from the hole. Diamond drilling recovers solid core, which lets geologists study structure and rock type in detail.
That matters at Arrakis because deeper holes test whether high-grade zones persist and widen below the shallower RC results. Drilling results indicate geological potential, but the company states there can be no certainty they will eventually form part of a Mineral Resource Estimate.
Earlier drilling at Arrakis already pointed to gold continuity below 350 metres, which is the kind of depth persistence the new diamond holes are designed to test further.
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Flushing Meadows results and next steps
At Flushing Meadows, hole 26IWBRC0090D returned 4.3m @ 0.7g/t Au from 227.3m, and 26IWBRC0092D returned 13m @ 0.5g/t Au from 272.0m. Results from the last diamond hole, 26IWBRC0094D, are pending.
For context, the existing Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) is 268koz @ 1.1g/t Au. Primary mineralisation is associated with narrow iron-rich sediments, and porphyry dykes favour those units as pathways, likely creating variations in width and continuity.
Key upcoming activities include:
- Arrakis diamond assays expected from late October.
- Results from 26IWBRC0094D are pending.
- Air-core assays over Flushing Meadows and Giedi Prime are anticipated in November.
- A soil sampling program with UltraFine+ multi-element analysis has commenced across the southern half of the IWB Gold Project, including the New England Granite.
The 100% owned IWB Gold Project covers approximately 456km² between the Jundee and Bronzewing mines. Combined resources total 450,200oz, made up of Flushing Meadows at 268,000oz and Mt McClure at 182,200oz.
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