The highly touted gold discovery southeast of Laverton in Western Australia has prompted joint venture partners Independence and AngloGold Ashanti to describe the area as “potentially [a] new Australian gold province”

Independence is free-carried through to the completion of a pre-feasibility study. Studies are expected to begin next year.

The latest drilling at the main Tropicana zone has returned true width hits of 30m grading 2.3 grams per tonne gold from 186m and 23m at 3gpt from 122m.

Mineralisation at the prospect has been defined over a 4m strike, Independence said.

At the Havana zone, southeast of the main Tropicana zone, step-out drilling in the northern end hit 11m at 3.4gpt from 160m including 4m at 8.2gpt, along with 18m at 6gpt from 195m including 8m at 12.4gpt.

Shares in Independence Group were up 2c (0.6%) at $3.47 at midday.