Great Southern hits high-grade gold below WA resource
· curiosity
Gold Rush in the Great South?
The latest drilling campaign by Great Southern Mining has injected new life into its Mon Ami gold project near Laverton, Western Australia. The results are impressive and intriguing, given the project’s proximity to a historic high-grade mine and its potential for satellite processing.
Mon Ami already boasts a substantial JORC resource of 1.56 million tonnes at 1.11 grams per tonne (g/t) gold. However, recent drilling has extended this resource vertically by up to 70 metres down-dip and 55m down-plunge, suggesting that there may be more to Mon Ami than initially thought.
The company’s geological model of a north-plunging higher-grade shoot extending beneath the existing resource is being tested, with encouraging results so far. Standout intercepts include 16m at 3.37g/t gold from 178m, which included a richer 4-metre core at 8.54g/t and 2m at 6.86g/t. These grades are respectable and suggest significant growth potential for the Mon Ami Resource.
The Ida H mine, located just 8km along strike from Mon Ami on the same regional shear zone, is a notable analogue. This historic high-grade mine produced an impressive 170,650 ounces at an average grade of 22.6g/t from underground mining. While there’s no guarantee that Mon Ami will replicate these grades, the Ida H analogy provides valuable geological context for deeper exploration.
Great Southern’s WA growth story carries extra weight given its development ducks are largely in a row. A granted mining licence and an approved haulage route linking the project to nearby roads have been secured, offering potential near-term development opportunities. The proximity of the Granny Smith processing facility is also a significant advantage, potentially allowing for satellite-feed or toll-treatment options.
As gold prices continue to fluctuate, companies like Great Southern are well-positioned to capitalize on this trend. With another 10 holes waiting to be drilled, the hunt is now on to establish just how much bigger Mon Ami can become. The timing of these results is also notable, given the current gold price of approximately A$6250 an ounce.
Beyond Mon Ami, Great Southern has a string of other projects worth watching. Ongoing drilling campaigns at Golden Boulder and Amy Clarke in WA, as well as its joint venture with Gold Fields at Mt Dillon in northern Queensland, suggest that there may be more to this story than initially meets the eye.
In an era where mining companies are under increasing scrutiny for their environmental impact and social responsibility, Great Southern’s methodical approach to extending a known deposit in a world-class address is a refreshing change of pace. As the company continues to drill deeper into Mon Ami, investors and industry observers will be keeping a close eye on its progress.
The gold rush may not be over just yet in Western Australia, with Mon Ami and its surrounding projects taking center stage. Will other companies take note of Great Southern’s cautious yet effective approach to resource extension? The coming months will likely provide some answers.
Reader Views
- TAThe Archive Desk · editorial
The gold rush in WA is heating up, and Great Southern Mining's Mon Ami project is right at the epicenter. What's striking about these latest drilling results isn't just the grades themselves – respectable as they are – but the implications for a potential satellite processing operation. With its own mining licence and approved haulage route in place, Mon Ami is primed to capitalize on existing infrastructure. The real question now is whether Great Southern can replicate the Ida H mine's exceptional performance along strike from its own project.
- ILIris L. · curator
While Great Southern's Mon Ami project has certainly piqued interest with its high-grade intercepts and geological parallels to the Ida H mine, one can't help but wonder how this plays out in terms of economics. The fact that the company has secured a mining licence and haulage route is undeniably a boon, but we still need to see hard numbers on what this means for production costs and feasibility studies. Will Great Southern be able to unlock the full potential of Mon Ami without breaking the bank?
- HVHenry V. · history buff
While Great Southern's Mon Ami results are undeniably exciting, one can't help but wonder about the geological complexity beneath their feet. The north-plunging higher-grade shoot they're exploring is a tantalizing prospect, but it also raises questions about the structural relationships between Mon Ami and its nearby analogue, Ida H. Are we witnessing a coincidence of grades along a strike-parallel shear zone, or is there something more fundamental at play? Further drilling will likely shed light on this, but for now, it's a thread that deserves closer examination in the context of the company's larger growth story.