en.Wedoany.com Reported - Haranga Resources (ASX:HAR) is nearing completion of dewatering operations at its Lincoln Gold Project in California, USA, clearing the way for a planned 1,600-meter Phase 2 drilling program set to begin in late August.
Dewatering has progressed to below the final cross-cut — Cross Cut 11 — along the 900-meter-long Stringbean Alley decline, with steady-state maintenance dewatering expected to commence next week.
A replacement underground mine power center is in the final stages of construction and commissioning, with installation scheduled for Cross Cut 7 in mid-August. Haranga expects underground power, ventilation, communications, and other systems to be fully restored by mid-August.
The planned 16-hole diamond drilling program will begin from Cross Cut 11 and then retreat along the decline. Contractor Swick Mining Services has confirmed that drill rigs will be available for deployment once systems are restored.
The first five drill holes are designed to reach depths of up to 275 meters, aiming to intersect multiple veins and test mineralization orientation toward the historical workings at Old Lincoln. That mining area previously produced approximately 100,000 ounces of gold. Shallower holes from Cross Cuts 9 and 10 will test the under-drilled zone between the Lincoln and Comet ore zones.
The project currently hosts a mineral resource of 2.46 million tonnes at 5.1 g/t gold, containing 402,000 ounces of gold.
Chairman Michael Davy said the company has completed technical and planning work since the initial resource report and is now preparing for a period of intense activity. Davy stated that the company is about to enter the next phase of high-intensity activity and will continue to advance the dual-track strategy of resource growth and rapid restart outlined in the company's briefing.
Haranga is also evaluating whether historical drilling data can support the conversion of a significant portion of the South Spring Hill exploration target into inferred resources in the September quarter. That target hosts 1.2 to 1.6 million tonnes at 5.4 to 5.8 g/t gold, corresponding to 202,000 to 308,000 ounces of gold, though these quantities and grades remain conceptual in nature.
The company plans to update its mineral resource estimate in the December quarter.
