en.Wedoany.com Reported - McLaren Minerals (ASX:MML) has completed 663 holes for a total of 11,568 meters in the first phase of bankable feasibility study drilling at the namesake McLaren Titanium Project in Western Australia.

The company completed all planned holes at 86% of the planned meterage, achieving an average drilling rate of 160 meters per day within budget.

The 2026 program aims to supplement historical data and increase confidence in the Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) update, which will be followed by the preparation of the first ore reserve.

The drilling covered resource infill drilling, southwest strike extension target drilling, new holes in the southeast extension area, east coastline target drilling, and variogram drilling.

A total of 528 infill resource drill holes were completed on a 150-meter by 150-meter grid spacing, aligned at 140 degrees east of north to better display the cross-strike direction.

Two variogram study grids were completed at the northern and southern boundaries of the infill drilling area to assess mineral continuity along the sedimentary strike.

Extensional drilling completed 75 holes in the southwest and southeast extensions, encountering mineralized sediments up to 24 meters thick with good continuity.

The east coastline target was drilled with 20 holes on a 1,000-meter by 3,000-meter grid to support regional geological understanding.

McLaren Minerals Managing Director Simon Finnis said infill drilling was necessary to increase confidence in the deposit and will lead to a resource update and the first mining reserve.

The east coastline program proved invaluable in refining the geological picture, helping to understand the features and sedimentary controls governing the accumulation of McLaren mineralized sediments.

Drilling in the southwest direction showed strong continuity, and the southeast extension area has also emerged as an additional resource expansion target.

Bulk metallurgical samples were collected during infill drilling for further laboratory testing.

McLaren Minerals plans to compile and validate assay results, conduct geological reviews, and prepare data to update the Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) in accordance with the JORC Code.

The company is currently focusing on further pre-development activities.

McLaren Minerals is an exploration company focused on developing its namesake project in the Eucla Basin of Western Australia.