Far East Gold (ASX:FEG) begins drilling at high-grade Sua prospect in Indonesia

Far East Gold Limited (ASX:FEG) has commenced diamond drilling at the high-grade Sua prospect, one of the most advanced targets within its Idenburg Contract of Work in Papua Province, Indonesia.

The program marks a pivotal stage in the company’s exploration campaign aimed at confirming and extending historical zones of strong gold mineralisation across a structurally complex and highly prospective corridor.

Highlights

• Ten-hole diamond drilling program totalling 1,820 metres now underway at Sua.

• Drilling designed to confirm and extend historical high-grade intercepts, including 5m @ 21.8 g/t Au and 2m @ 52.3 g/t Au.

• The Sua-Afley Shear Zone extends for five kilometres, with over 30 gold-bearing veins identified.

• An inferred mineral resource of 2.5Mt @ 3.7 g/t Au (296,000 oz Au) already defined by SMGC.

• Metallurgical test work indicates gravity recoveries of 50–60% and overall recoveries exceeding 90% via CIL/RIL processing.

The Sua prospect, last drilled in 2005–2006 by Avocet Mining, returned multiple standout intercepts that confirmed both grade and continuity of mineralisation.

Results such as 5 metres at 21.8 grams per tonne gold from 107 metres, including 3 metres at 35.0 grams per tonne, underscore the potential for significant resource growth within the district.

In total, 18 of 22 historical holes intersected gold mineralisation, highlighting the consistency of the mineralised system, and Far East Gold’s current program will test the down-dip and along-strike extensions of these high-grade zones to refine the geological model and support potential resource expansion.

The drilling is being undertaken in parallel with ongoing work at North Bermol and the soon-to-commence program at Kwaplu, collectively aimed at advancing the broader Idenburg project.

“The commencement of drilling at Sua marks another important milestone in unlocking the exceptional potential of our Idenburg project. The historical results from Sua are nothing short of outstanding, with multiple high-grade intercepts up to 52.5 grams per tonne gold,”

said Chief Executive Officer Shane Menere.

“This new drilling program is designed to confirm and extend those results, and we are confident that it has the potential to define a significant high-grade system.”

The Sua mineralisation is hosted within boudinaged quartz–pyrite veins in altered metadiorite, plunging approximately 35 degrees to the north, with petrographic studies identifying chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, covellite, chalcocite, and free gold that collectively support the view of a robust, multi-phase mineralising event.

Initial metallurgical tests indicate favourable recovery characteristics using standard gravity and cyanide leaching processes, enhancing the project’s potential viability.

The company’s geological interpretation suggests multiple stacked shear-hosted veins across the five-kilometre Sua-Afley corridor, indicating strong potential for additional resource delineation.

SMGC’s independent assessment, completed in late 2024, estimated an inferred resource of 2.5 million tonnes grading 3.7 grams per tonne gold for 296,000 ounces.

The report concluded that the majority of the resource could be upgraded with infill and step-out drilling.

With drill rigs now turning at both Sua and North Bermol, Far East Gold is progressing an integrated exploration strategy designed to establish scale and continuity across multiple targets within its 95,280-hectare Idenburg tenement.

The company’s approach reflects growing confidence in the district’s geological fertility, underpinned by a combination of historical data, new structural mapping, and modern geophysical analysis.

The upcoming months will be crucial in determining whether the current program can substantiate the historical high grades and confirm the structural model of the Sua-Afley Shear Zone.

Successful results could underpin an upgrade of the existing inferred resource and advance the company’s goal of defining a globally competitive gold system in Papua Province.

As activity ramps up across multiple prospects, Far East Gold’s methodical approach to verification drilling positions it well to convert historical potential into defined ounces within a highly prospective terrain.

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