Greatland Gold wins ballot for exploration licence in Western Australia

Greatland's Patterson project is located 500 kilometres east of rail and port infrastructure at Port Hedland, pictured here. (Image by Nachoman-au, Wikimedia Commons).

The Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety announced that Greatland Gold (AIM: GGP) has won a government-conducted ballot in regard to its application for a fourth exploration licence in the Paterson region.

The win means that Greatland's application for the license has priority and will be processed ahead of other competing applications.

The Rudall licence application covers an area of approximately 65 square kilometres and is located 20 kilometres south-southeast of Greatland's Havieron gold-copper deposit. This means that its granting allows the company to expand its landholding in the Paterson region from 385 square kilometres to 450 square kilometres.

The Paterson project comprises three granted licenses: Havieron, Paterson Range East, and Black Hills, and the Rudall license application, located in the Paterson region of Western Australia

According to Greatland Gold, Rudall is considered to be prospective for Havieron and Telfer style gold/copper occurrences. Thus, the miner's plans involve completing the acquisition of detailed aeromagnetics, ground gravity and surface geochemistry to enhance preliminary targets already outlined within the license.

"We are very pleased to be moving forward with our exploration plans in the Paterson and to have the opportunity to consolidate our strategic position in this exciting and highly prospective region," Gervaise Heddle, Greatland's CEO, said in a media statement.

"Geophysical and geochemical studies conducted last year highlighted a range of exciting, high-priority targets across our Paterson licenses, many of which display similar geophysical characteristics to Havieron, and we look forward to systematically drill testing many of these targets over the coming months."

The Paterson project comprises three granted licenses: Havieron, Paterson Range East, and Black Hills, and the Rudall licence application, located in the Paterson region of northern Western Australia.