Three more drillholes have yielded thick intersections of coking coal with cumulative thicknesses of 8.4m, 67m below surface; 5.4m, 59.5m below surface; and 3m, 50m below surface.

The discovery follows the success of initial drilling earlier in the month that intersected thick coal at two holes with cumulative thicknesses of 9.28m, 34m below surface and 10.89m, 42m below surface.

The three new drillholes have confirmed the continuity of thick shallow dipping seams over a 2000m strike length and downdip to 500m.

The ongoing drill program has been expanded from 1500m to 3000m and is expected to include as many as 15 drillholes.

Previous work has demonstrated the coal has good coking properties.

The current drilling program is testing only a small part of the exploration target for Amaam North where thick, near surface, shallow dipping coal has been identified.

The company said future drilling programs would be aimed at testing the large-scale potential of the licence.

Tigers Realm chief executive officer Craig Parry said the company had targeted the Amaam North area due to its potential for low capital costs and early production of direct shipping coking coal.

“We believe the shallow, thick Lower Chuckchi coal seams are highly prospective and there’s a strong likelihood we can convert the exploration target into a resource in coming months as the drilling program progresses,” he said in a previous statement.

Tigers Realm expects to be in a position to report an initial resource in coming months.