Astral Resources NL provided an update on the current diamond drilling (DD) campaign targeting the western flank of the Theia deposit and testing two inferred highgrade conjugate gold trends at the 100% owned Mandilla Gold Project (Mandilla or Project), located approximately 70km south of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Assay results have been returned from the first two DD holes completed, with results demonstrating potential for the western flank to deliver material growth in Mineral Resource, and confirming that the Theia deposit remains open at depth with highgrade gold mineralisation of 0.7m at 80.22g/t Au returned from 447.68 metres downhole. These results, together with both the remainder of the 17hole (4,700 metres) diamond drill program and 38,000 metres of drilling completed since the last Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), provide support for a material increase to the JORC 2012 MRE at Mandilla, which currently stands at 24Mt at 1.0g/t Au for 784koz of contained gold.

With eleven holes now completed, visual observations from the diamond core continue to support the interpretation of two inferred conjugate highgrade gold trends. The south plunging trend (18°130°) is now interpreted to be a dominant mineralising orientation, with the north plunging trend (25°310°) potentially subordinate. Visible gold has been identified in ten of the eleven holes drilled to date.

The Mandilla Gold Project includes the Theia, Iris and Eos deposits as well as the recently discovered Hestia prospect. Gold mineralisation at Theia and Iris is comprised of structurally controlled quartz vein arrays and hydrothermal alteration close to the western margin of the Emu Rocks Granite and locally in contact with sediments of the Spargoville Group. Significant NW to WNWtrending structures along the western flank of the Project are interpreted from aeromagnetic data to cut through the granitic intrusion which are considered important in localising gold mineralisation at Theia, which now has a mineralised footprint extending over a strike length of more than 1.5km.

A second subparallel structure hosts lesser gold mineralisation at the Iris deposit. The mineralised footprint at Iris extends over a strike length of approximately 700 metres, combining with Theia to outline a mineralised zone in excess of 2.2 kilometres in strike. At Eos, located further to the southeast, a relatively shallow highgrade mineralised palaeochannel deposit has been identified.

Mineralisation at the new Hestia prospect, approximately 500 metres west of Theia, is hosted at a sheared mafic/sediment contact interpreted to be part of the major northsouth trending group of thrust faults known as the Spargoville shear corridor. Mineralisation at Hestia is present in a different geological setting to the primary mineralisation at Theia and Iris, and remains open down dip and along strike. Locally, the Spargoville shear corridor hosts the historically mined Wattle Dam gold mine (266koz at 10.6g/t Au) and, further to the north, the Ghost Crab/Mt Marion mine (>1Moz).

Mandilla is covered by existing Mining Leases which are not subject to any thirdparty royalties other than the standard WA Government gold royalty. Diamond Drilling Program: The assay results from two diamond drillholes for an aggregate 742.7 metres. The results relate to the ongoing 17hole (4,700 metre) DD program.

The intent of the DD program is to: To test for gold mineralisation in the western flank of the Theia deposit to assist with Mineral Resource extension; and To test two interpreted highgrade gold trends that have been identified, one south trending (18°130°) and the other north trending (25°310°). Visual observations of the conjugate highgrade gold trends suggest the southerly trend to be a dominant mineralising orientation with the northerly trend potentially subordinate. Successfully targeting the two trends has visually identified potential new mineralisation both up and down these trend lines.

It is likely that further refinement of the gold trends will direct its future drilling to additional extensional targets for highgrade gold mineralisation within the Theia deposit. MDRCD644 returned a cumulative 283gram x metres of gold across several intersections, with best assay results including: 16.01m at 2.12g/t Au from 157.29m; 47.91m at 0.74g/t Au from 199.09m; 25.18m at 2.02g/t Au from 254.62m; 16.66m at 1.38g/t Au from 311.34m; 41.2m at 1.71g/t Au from 339.3m; and 16.76m at 2.64g/t Au from 434.1m. MDRCD634 returned a best result of 16.21m at 0.96g/t Au from 335.70m.

Diamond drillholes MDRCD644 and MDRCD645 (assay results pending) were oriented to the south east to intersect interpreted northeast crosscutting structures within the Mineral Resource to help identify any potential effect on primary mineralisation. These structures were previously observed to be subparallel to historical drilling directions and therefore difficult to identify. To date, logging of the diamond core has not been able to define these cryptic structures absolutely, though continuity of highergrade mineralisation appears to align parallel to their interpreted orientation.