Golden Promise: Ordell Unveils High-Grade Gold at Barimaia Project's McNabs East Prospect
Ordell Minerals Limited (ASX: ORD) has announced significant new gold intercepts from its latest drilling campaign at the Barimaia Gold Project near Mount Magnet in Western Australia, highlighting the project's emerging open-pit potential and extensive mineralisation footprint.
Shallow High-Grade Intercepts Expand McNabs East Gold Zone
The company's latest Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling campaign has delivered impressive gold intercepts at the McNabs East Prospect, with standout results including:
- 17m @ 2.25g/t Au from 86m (25BARC116)
- 10m @ 4.24g/t Au from 44m (25BARC114)
- 19m @ 1.60g/t Au from 25m (25BARC110)
- 5m @ 4.77g/t Au from 45m (25BARC109)
- 11m @ 1.40g/t Au from 10m (25BARC113)
These results are from the first 13 holes of a larger 41-hole program totalling 4,211 metres, with additional assays still pending.
Michael Fowler, Managing Director of Ordell, emphasised the significance of these findings: "We are pleased to see strong zones of shallow gold mineralisation returned from the first batch of results from our 2025 exploration program, confirming Barimaia's significant open pit potential."
Expanding Gold System Remains Open in Multiple Directions
The drilling has defined an extensive zone of gold mineralisation at shallow depths on the western side of McNabs East. Importantly, this gold zone remains open along strike and is untested at depth, providing substantial exploration upside.
Geological interpretations show the high-grade gold mineralisation strikes in an east-northeast (ENE) orientation and plunges shallowly to the east, with mineralisation confirmed near surface. This pattern suggests a coherent and potentially extensive gold system.
The gold mineralisation is characterised by moderate to locally strong sericite and biotite alteration, moderate foliation, disseminated pyrite, and quartz-pyrite veining – all indicators of a well-developed gold system.
Understanding Intrusion-Hosted Gold Deposits
Unlike the more common BIF-hosted gold deposits of the Mount Magnet district, Barimaia hosts intrusion-related gold mineralisation where gold is found within silica-sericite-pyrite altered felsic bodies.
This style of mineralisation is similar to the nearby Eridanus deposit operated by Ramelius Resources, which contains a substantial 21Mt @ 1.7g/t Au for 1,200,000oz resource with an additional 300,000 ounces already mined.
Intrusion-hosted gold systems often feature large tonnage deposits with consistent grades and can be amenable to bulk mining methods. The granodiorite intrusion at Barimaia appears to be the primary host rock for gold mineralisation, with Ordell Minerals drilling results targeting an extension of this intrusive body to over 5km of strike length.
Key Characteristics of Intrusion-Hosted Gold Deposits
Intrusion-hosted gold deposits represent an important class of gold mineralisation that differs from other styles in several key aspects:
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Host Rocks: These deposits form within or adjacent to intrusive igneous rocks, typically of intermediate to felsic composition such as granodiorite, as seen at Barimaia.
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Mineralisation Style: Gold typically occurs in association with disseminated sulphide minerals (commonly pyrite) distributed throughout the altered intrusive rock, rather than being confined to discrete veins.
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Alteration Signatures: Characteristic alteration assemblages include silica, sericite, and pyrite—exactly what Ordell Minerals drilling results have identified at Barimaia.
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Size and Grade Distribution: These systems often form large, lower-grade deposits with consistent gold distribution, making them suitable for bulk mining operations.
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Mining Advantages: The consistent nature of mineralisation within intrusion-hosted deposits often allows for simpler mine planning and potentially lower mining costs compared to narrow, high-grade vein systems.
The identification of intrusion-hosted gold mineralisation at Barimaia provides an important geological framework for further exploration, with the potential for defining a substantial gold resource similar to the Eridanus deposit nearby.
Aggressive Exploration Pipeline for 2025
Ordell has outlined a comprehensive exploration plan for the June 2025 quarter, including:
- Air-core drilling east and north of the current mineralisation at McNabs Prospects
- Further RC and diamond drilling centred on the McNabs East Prospect
- First-pass RC drilling to follow up potential intrusion-hosted gold anomalies defined by air-core drilling
With heritage clearances now completed, air-core drilling is set to commence in mid-April, aiming to extend the footprint of the Barimaia granodiorite intrusion to over 5km of strike length.
Strategic Position in a Tier-1 Mining District
Barimaia's location represents a significant strategic advantage, situated in the prolific Murchison gold province of Western Australia and surrounded by established mining operations:
- Adjacent to Ramelius Resources' Mt Magnet mill
- 70km from Spartan Resources' Dalgaranga mill
- 80km from Westgold Resources' Tuckabianna mill
This proximity to multiple processing facilities could potentially reduce capital requirements and accelerate any future development pathway, similar to how Evolution Mining secured regulatory approval for their operations in other parts of Australia.
Why Investors Should Track Ordell Minerals
Ordell presents a compelling investment case for gold-focused investors:
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Expanding High-Grade Gold System: The latest Ordell Minerals drilling results continue to define shallow, high-grade gold mineralisation that remains open in multiple directions.
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Eridanus Lookalike Potential: The geological similarities to Ramelius Resources' 1.2-million-ounce Eridanus deposit provide a proven model for the scale Barimaia might achieve.
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Strategic Asset Backing: With Genesis Minerals (now part of Ramelius) as a major shareholder (8%), Ordell benefits from strong industry validation.
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Aggressive Exploration Program: The company has outlined a clear pathway to expand the gold footprint at Barimaia throughout 2025, with regular news flow expected from pending assays and new drilling programs.
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Tier-1 Mining Location: The Western Australian location and proximity to existing processing infrastructure provides numerous strategic advantages, potentially benefiting from rising gold price forecasts through 2025.
With a systematic exploration approach targeting a gold system that continues to deliver impressive intercepts, Ordell Minerals drilling results are positioning Barimaia as a significant new gold discovery in Western Australia's Murchison region. Furthermore, as the mining industry increasingly focuses on decarbonisation efforts, Ordell's proximity to existing infrastructure could provide sustainability advantages through reduced development footprints.
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