Marmota launches high-grade SA gold mine planning
- Doug Bright
- Oct 28
- 3 min read
Marmota Ltd (ASX: MEU) has launched Stage 1 mine planning for its South Australian Gawler Gold Project, with initial focus on its advanced high-grade Aurora Tank deposit
With block modelling completed and a maiden resource statement in its final stages, the company is pressing ahead to establish a viable gold production pathway in South Australia’s prospective Gawler Craton.
Perth-based mine planning and resource consultancy Orelogy Consulting has been commissioned to execute the core works which will include initial construction of a Whittle optimisation input model and pit optimisation.
Once the core elements are established, pit optimisation will comprise iterative base case models based on variable costs and gold prices, including sensitivity runs, which will lead into detailed mine design, ultimately including ramps and immediate pit access and other site planning.
That work will be undertaken concurrently with or followed by a preliminary mining schedule with production and cashflow projections and once individual or staged pit outlines are firmed-up, construction of waste dumps and run of mine (ROM) ore pads can begin.
The scope of work is tailored to Aurora Tank’s near-surface, high-grade mineralisation, which the company believes suits low-capex open-pit ming methods.
Orelogy’s data delivery is anticipated within eight weeks, providing Marmota with foundational data to refine its preferred development path and economics.
Marmota’s Gawler Gold Project forms an in intriguing strategic arc of deposits across an area of about 10,000 square kilometres which is dominated by Marmota’s potentially multi-commodity tenure.
The company’s present key element in its gold exploration holdings is its 100%-owned Aurora Tank project in the northeast of its tenure, where drilling has repeatedly and with remarkable consistency, uncovered often bonanza grades, with many intercepts near-surface.
Standout intercepts include 1m at 235 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, determined from bulk leach extractable gold (BLEG) testing which has confirmed and often upgraded earlier fire assays, alongside other and broader zones such as 4m at 70g/t gold.
Metallurgical results also underscore the deposit’s appeal, with column leach tests yielding up to 93% gold recoveries on weathered ore at coarse crush sizes, which Marmota believes will support its concept of efficient heap leach gold extraction without complex infrastructure.
The Aurora Tank deposit is complemented by four more currently-known gold deposits in the adjacent Golden Moon JV deposits, which are 90% held by Marmota’s subsidiary Half Moon Pty Ltd, with Coombedown Resources retaining a 10% interest and free-carry to a mining decision.
Marmota manages exploration and development across the Golden Moon JV tenements, enabling coordinated strategies across its areas of interest.
Recent maiden drilling at its adjacent Greenewood and Mainwood deposits has delivered impressive near-surface high-grade gold results which include 24m at 12g/t gold from 20m, 28m at 5.6g/t from 24m and 28m at 6.4g/t from 44m.
Campfire Bore recently added further excitement, also turning out near-surface bonanza gold results with 1m at 107g/t gold from 57m, alongside multiple hits over 20g/t and 13 new intercepts over 10 g/t gold which including 5m at 12g/t, 3m assaying 11g/t and 3m at 10g/t gold.
The Golf Bore prospect comprises the final element of the four known Golden Moon JV mineralised zones. It sits about 12km northwest of Aurora Tank and remains underexplored but aligns with the arcuate mineralised trend across the northern part of the company’s extensive licence holdings.
Further afield, Marmota also holds 100% gold rights at the West Gawler Craton JV’s Monsoon and Typhoon prospects, rounding out a spectacular portfolio that appears to be primed for synergies in logistics and scale.
In a related and very timely move, Marmota appointed senior metallurgist Paul Richardson as Gawler Gold Project manager on 17 October.
With 36 years in mining and processing—including general manager roles at Mount Gibson Gold and Pacmin Mining and expertise in heap leach and feasibility studies, Richardson will drive Aurora Tank and the broader arc towards production.
Marmota’s mine planning milestone is already building a new level of momentum for the company’s Gawler Craton assets.
The venture will capitalise on the projects’ consistently high-grades, sweetened by numerous bonanza gold hits, strong metallurgical recoveries and close proximities between multiple deposits.
As resource definition wraps up, successful optimisations and sharp planning could fast-track scoping and feasibility work and further enhance the project’s development profile in the prevailing high gold price climate and Marmota might just find itself making that leap from explorer to developer…..and soon.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: office@bullsnbears.com.au
