Alice Queen and joint venture partner St Barbara have kicked off a maiden diamond core drill program ahead of schedule at Horn Island.

“We are very excited to have embarked upon our first diamond
core drilling program with our Horn Island joint venture partner, St Barbara Limited,” managing director Andrew Buxton said.

“The IP anomalies that we are targeting with the drilling are of a significant scale so we are all very optimistic about the potential of this program to expand on the already very exciting Horn Island story.”

That maiden diamond core drill program began on September 27 and will include up to 14 holes for 4500m.

The joint venture will see St Barbara spend $4 million over three years on the gold project to earn a 70 per cent stake of of areas outside of excluded zones, including the existing inferred resource.

Alice Queen recently completed a resource extension drill program (six holes for 1440m) within the excluded areas and is awaiting assay results.

Phase one of its Horn Island resource reverse circulation (RC) infill drill program of 33 holes for 4100m is being mobilised to commence shortly.