The cumulative coal thickness was 22 metres for the seams intersected in this hole.

The explorer has completed three out of the seven holes planned in its first phase of drilling in the project it picked up in January.

Targeted coal seams include the Whybrow, Wambo, Whynot and Blakefield seams, while the upper Wittingham coal measures lie at depths of greater than 150m.

Coalworks aims to prove up resources for open cut and underground mining, and to potentially produce thermal, semi-soft coking coal and pulverised coal injection coal.

The explorer is targeting 250-330 million tonnes of resources at Ferndale, including 50-80Mt in the Newcastle coal measures for open cut mining at depths of 20-70m.

“This news increases our confidence in our resource target, especially in view of this added potential occurring in the quality Wittingham coal measures, where we target semi-soft coking and PCI coals,” Coalworks managing director and chief executive Andrew Firek said.

“This work provides a foundation for a maiden resource at Ferndale.”

Coalworks shares closed down 3.2% to 46c yesterday.