Australian gold exploration companies are posting high-grade drill intercepts across Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria as the region enters its winter drilling season, according to recent corporate updates issued by mining developers.
QMines Targets Resource Growth at Mount Chalmers
QMines launched a 10,000-meter drilling campaign at its Mount Chalmers copper-gold project, located 20 kilometers northeast of Rockhampton in Queensland, according to a late July operational update. The program divides its focus between resource expansion and feasibility study drilling, with 7,000 meters designated specifically for the Woods Shaft deposit situated 800 meters southwest of the historic Mount Chalmers mine. According to QMines Executive Chairman Andrew Sparke, initial metallurgical results from the first hole returned 18 meters grading 2.7 grams of gold per ton and 1.7% copper from 54 meters downhole, including a 12-meter interval of 3.8 grams of gold per ton and 2.0% copper, alongside a 1-meter section containing 20.3 grams of gold per ton and 3.3% copper.
Western Australia and New South Wales Drilling Highlights
Several other developers reported high-grade mineralisation at projects across the Australian continent during July:
- Brightstar Resources: Released ongoing drill results from the Sandstone gold project in Western Australia, which holds a Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 2.4 million ounces at 1.5 grams of gold per ton. Highlights include 9 meters at 4.5 grams of gold per ton from 120 meters and 6 meters at 6.90 grams of gold from 145 meters.
- Beacon Minerals: Completed its 133,000-meter resource definition drilling program at the Iguana deposit on the Lady Ida project in Western Australia, returning intercepts such as 24 meters at 8.76 grams of gold per ton from 91 meters and 20 meters at 9.9 grams from 23 meters.
- Benz Mining: Discovered a shallow, high-grade mineralized zone connecting two separate deposits at the Hurricane Camp target area within the Glenburgh gold project in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region, with results featuring 70 meters at 2.9 grams of gold per ton.
- Waratah Minerals: Intersected shallow, high-grade gold zones at the Spur project in New South Wales, including an 18-meter interval at 1.12 grams of gold per ton from 61 meters, which contained 3 meters at 9.81 grams from 142 meters.
- Southern Cross Gold: Reported data from the Golden Dyke target at the Sunday Creek gold-antimony project in Victoria, confirming epizonal geological zoning with an intercept of 7.9 meters at 19.9 grams of gold-equivalent per ton.
Upcoming Catalysts for QMines
QMines plans to integrate the Woods Shaft deposit into an expanded resource base for Mount Chalmers while simultaneously advancing parallel engineering work for its feasibility study, according to company statements. Executive Chairman Andrew Sparke noted that the company anticipates strong news flow regarding its exploration milestones through the remainder of the year.