West Australian explorer Ardea Resources has commenced mining and toll treatment studies as it posts a maiden JORC 2012 inferred mineral resource at the Big Four gold deposit within its Goongarrie Nickel Cobalt Project 70km N of Kalgoorlie.
MD Andrew Penkethman says the inferred resource of 15,300oz (178,000t @ 2.7g/t Au) at a project it drilled for the first time in Jan confirms the gold prospectivity of the Bardoc Tectonic Zone within its extensive tenement base.
The deposit is considered suitable for openpit excavator-dump truck operation, and preliminary talks have been held on processing at a third party-owned plant.