Ora Banda Mining has significantly bolstered the growth potential of its Waihi project in Western Australia, announcing a fresh series of thick, high-grade gold drill hits that have expanded the known mineralisation envelope.
Vintage-Grade Results at Golden Pole
The latest drilling, focused on the Golden Pole prospect within the broader Waihi project, has returned what the company describes as "vintage-grade" intercepts. These outstanding results reinforce Waihi's credentials as a potential third underground mining operation for Ora Banda in the Northern Goldfields.
Standout assays from targeted follow-up drilling at Golden Pole include a remarkable 7-metre intersection grading 27.4 grams per tonne (g/t) gold. This intercept featured an ultra-high-grade, or bonanza, 2-metre section assaying 87.5 g/t gold.
The momentum continued with a series of other eye-catching results, including:
- 2.2 metres at 56.3 g/t gold
- 2.2 metres at 36.9 g/t gold
- 5 metres at 13.2 g/t gold
- 3.2 metres at 13.9 g/t gold
These results confirm strong grade continuity and have successfully pushed mineralisation well beyond historical boundaries, located just three kilometres from the company's existing Davyhurst processing plant.
Building a Third Mining Centre
According to Ora Banda managing director Luke Creagh, the drilling right across the Waihi package is consistently returning high grades and excellent widths. The results support the case for developing Waihi as the company's third underground mine, leveraging its existing processing infrastructure and underground expertise.
Management highlighted that the identification of a brand-new lode to the west of Golden Pole has unveiled another compelling exploration target, underscoring the project's district-scale potential. Drilling at this new zone intersected 1.1 metres at 3.4 g/t gold.
The company's exploration success has prompted a major expansion of its campaign. An initial 45-hole program launched in mid-2025 has now been increased to 97 holes, with a further 20 holes currently being drilled specifically to infill and extend the Golden Pole lode.
Historical Context and Future Plans
The Waihi area sits within the prolific Northern Goldfields Superterrane of the Yilgarn Craton. Gold was first discovered here in 1899, leading to the historic Waihi, Homeward Bound and Golden Pole deposits, which collectively produced approximately 133,000 ounces of gold.
Notably, the historic Golden Pole mine was a prolific high-grade producer, yielding roughly 77,000 ounces at an average grade of 29.6 g/t between 1900 and 1939. Despite this past production, the system was only lightly tested by previous operators, leaving substantial scope for modern exploration to unlock additional ounces.
Ora Banda has scheduled follow-up drilling to test down-plunge extensions beneath the historic Golden Pole workings to begin this month. Furthermore, a mineral resource estimate update is slated for early in the June quarter of 2026, which will, for the first time, include Golden Pole.
With high-grade results continuing to stack up and a resource update imminent, Waihi is rapidly shaping as a key growth lever for Ora Banda Mining in Western Australia.
