As the first Drilling Deeper of 2026, junior explorers around the world are opening the year by returning to the activity that underpins every major mining story – exploration.
From kicking off winter campaigns to early-stage discoveries, companies are showing how drilling is a critical first step in turning potential into commercial discovery.
One of the many explorers kicking off drilling early in the new year is Gold Terra Resource (TSX-V:YGT), which has recently begun a diamond drilling program on the Yellowknife Project in the Northwest Territories.
The program will use four diamond rigs, focusing on advancing priority targets within the Con Mine area and the Northbelt. Drilling is designed to advance known high-grade mineralised zones, test new targets, and support future resource growth.
At Con Mine, initial drilling will aim to expand and upgrade mineralisation within the Yellorex Zone. Additional drilling will test nearby targets along the Campbell Shear corridor between Yellorex and the Con Mine.
Drilling will begin later in January 2026 at Northbelt, following sufficient ice development. The program will target gold areas where previous drilling has been undertaken.
Brazilian discoveries
GoldMining (TSX:GOLD) has received additional assay results from a 2025 reverse circulation drilling program at the São Jorge Project in Brazil, which further support the discoveries of four new prospects.
The 2025 program was designed to test new targets outside of the known areas of mineralisation, which resulted in the discovery of the William South prospect located 1.5km north of the existing São Jorge Project.
Some of the latest results include 12m @ 2.38 grams per tonne gold from 13m, including 1m @ 22g/t gold; and 4m @ 1.11g/t gold from 46m; and 1m @ 1.23g/t gold from 16m.
To date, GoldMining says the results support the broader potential for discovery and delineation of new zones of mineralisation across the 46,000 hectare São Jorge Project.
CEO Alastair Still says the geology and geophysical signature at William South resembles the São Jorge gold deposit itself based on exploration to date.
“This work has been encouraging of the potential for this area, highlighting that significant additional systematic exploration is required, especially over the core of the induced polarisation (IP) anomaly which has not yet been tested by drilling,” Still says.
“In conjunction with William South, we continue to explore additional targets across the broad 12km by 7km geochemical footprint overlying the São Jorge property-scale mineral system, where we have additional exploration results pending.”
Developments in Nicaragua
Mako Mining (TSX-V:MKO) confirms the structural continuity of multiple, sub-parallel gold-bearing quartz veins in an area within the El Golfo Project in Nicaragua, after receiving further results from a 2025 drilling program.
The gold-bearing quartz veins were confirmed in an area at least 630m along strike and 305m down-dip, or 170m from surface. The drilling also confirms the geological model for the El Golfo mineralisation, representing the southwest extension of mineralised structures found at the Las Conchitas deposit.
Some of the results include 4.4m @ 18.34 grams per tonne gold and 22.9g/t silver; 1.3m @ 37.20g/t gold and 42.1g/t silver; and 1m @ 74.90g/t gold and 182g/t silver.
CEO Akiba Leisman says El Golfo is shaping up to be a “significant new discovery”.
“El Golfo has now been extended to 630m of strike and 305m of dip, and remains open in all directions,” Leisman says.
“Furthermore, the receipt of underground mining permits at Las Conchitas will allow us to begin the development of two underground adits, with the ability to mine 150-250 tonnes per day for the next six years in addition to our open-pit mining operations.”
The 2025 drilling program comprises 137 holes for 17,885m of reverse circulation and diamond drilling. The aim of the program was to further define the mineralisation and to test for extensions of mineralisation in areas that had not been previously drill-tested and disturbed by historical or more recent small-scale mining.
Alignment in Nevada
Another company receiving results this week is Nevada Organic Phosphate (CSE:NOP), which received the final phosphorous pentoxide (P2O5) assays from a 2025 drilling program at the Murdock Mountain Project in Nevada, US.
The results continue to reinforce the consistency of phosphate mineralisation across the Upper Phosphatic zone, while also supporting the company advancing its understanding of the sedimentary phosphate system.
Some of the results include 5.12m @ 10.23% P2O5; 4.79m @ 10.7% P2O5; and 4.7m @ 11.2% P2O5.
CEO Robin Dow says the results align with Nevada Organic’s geological model and previously stated expectations, noting that grades in the 7% to 10% P2O5 range remain a realistic target for Murdock Mountain.
Phosphate is considered an essential mineral for the agriculture industry, as it is important for establishing roots and boosting flowering and fruiting.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Gold Terra Resource, GoldMining, Mako Mining & Nevada Organic Phosphate
