The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) has announced a significant gold resource potential discovery extending along a 100km strike from the existing Mansourah Massarah gold mine. This discovery is part of Ma’aden's extensive exploration program launched in 2022, to build the company's production pipeline.
The exploration efforts around Mansourah Massarah focused on identifying potential deposits with similar scale and geology. Positive drill results from multiple sites on Uruq South, a 100km stretch south of Mansourah Massarah, revealed geological characteristics and chemistry similar to the Mansourah Massarah deposit. Notable drill intercepts, including core intercepts showing 61m at 10.4 g/t Au and 20m at 20.6g/t Au, suggest a potential major world-class gold belt in Saudi Arabia.
In addition to the Uruq South findings, Ma’aden expanded its exploration footprint at the Jabal Ghadarah and Bir Tawilah prospects, 25km north of Mansourah Massarah. The company aims to convert an inferred resource of 1.5 million ounces to indicated and measured status.
The positive drilling results indicate a potentially 125km strike with significant potential for expansion. The near-mine drilling around Mansourah Massarah suggests that the resource is open at depth and along the strike, offering the potential to expand resources and extend the mine life with underground development. Mansourah Massarah currently has stated gold resources of almost seven million ounces and a nameplate production capacity of 250,000 ounces per year.
These discoveries mark the first significant results from Ma’aden's extensive exploration program, aligning with the company's commitment to building its production pipeline, developing Saudi Arabia’s resource base, and supporting the broader economic diversification goals outlined in Vision 2030. Ma’aden's CEO, Robert Wilt, emphasized the significance of these findings, positioning them as a key part of the company's growth strategy and contributing to the vision of establishing mining as a crucial pillar of the Saudi economy.
