ASX-listed Arika Resources has started with mobilisation activities ahead of the next phase of exploration across its 100%-owned Kookynie and Yundamindra gold projects in Western Australia.

The upcoming programme will comprise about 20 000 m of reverse circulation (RC) drilling designed to accelerate discovery and resource growth across both projects.

“Arika is now entering the most active exploration period in the company's history, building on the outstanding success of our drilling programmes so far this year, which saw Arika drill almost 15 000 m of RC drilling across 100 holes at the Yundamindra project.

“Over the coming months we will have multiple drilling programmes operating across both Kookynie and Yundamindra, targeting extensions to existing high-grade discoveries while also testing several exciting new targets for the first time,” MD Justin Barton acclaims.

He highlights that the technical work continues to generate new opportunities.

“Recent targeting work at Kookynie has identified several highly prospective drill targets, while soil geochemistry at Emerald City has now been completed and will guide what will be the first modern drilling ever undertaken across this highly prospective part of the Yundamindra project.

“With more than 20 000 m of drilling planned and multiple exploration programmes running in parallel, we expect a strong pipeline of news flow over the coming months,” he avers.

Drilling will start soon, with the initial focus on the Cosmopolitan, Altona and Ithaca prospects at Kookynie, targeting high-grade extensions and multiple new discovery opportunities identified through recent technical studies.

Recent geological interpretation and target generation has identified several compelling new drill targets across the Kookynie project, significantly expanding the pipeline of discovery opportunities.

Additional soil sampling programmes are now in progress.

Drilling will also restart across the high-priority Pennyweight Point and Landed at Last prospects at the Yundamindra project.

This work will build on the 14 752 m of drilling completed from January to June this year, continuing to advance the project towards a maiden mineral resource estimate.

Soil geochemistry surveys have recently been completed across the highly prospective Emerald City target area at Yundamindra, with results expected to refine drill targeting ahead of a maiden drilling programme later this year.

Metallurgical leach testwork has started on mineralised material from Yundamindra to provide an early assessment of gold recovery characteristics and support future development studies.

Continuous exploration news flow is anticipated through the remainder of the year, including drilling results, geochemical surveys and maiden drilling at Emerald City.