Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) has announced completion of maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling at its Juggernaut Copper-Gold Project in Western Australia, intersecting geology it considers favourable for volcanic-hosted massive sulphide (VHMS) mineralisation.
The company completed 17 shallow holes totalling 2,160m across six copper–gold targets, with an average depth of 120m.
Drilling intersected interbedded mafic volcanic rocks and shale units, which Great Western says are consistent with VHMS development. The company also interprets alteration observed in the rocks as indicative of a potentially fertile VHMS system.
However, assays remain pending, and the drilling has not yet confirmed the presence of copper-gold mineralisation.
Great Western says the results support the potential for a VHMS discovery at Juggernaut, which lies 70km southeast of the DeGrussa and Monty copper-gold deposits.
The company interprets the six targets as potentially representing a camp-style system, noting that VHMS deposits can occur in clusters.
Juggernaut forms part of the Yerrida North Project, about 800km northeast of Perth. Targets were defined through lead-zinc and copper soil anomalies, rock-chip results, and geological mapping.
The mapped units form part of the Killara Formation, which previous studies have correlated with the DeGrussa Formation hosting the DeGrussa and Monty deposits in the adjacent Bryah Basin.
Great Western also completed two RC holes totalling 78m at the Baroo target. Both holes intersected a quartz vein mapped over a width of 5m and a strike exceeding 140m.
Samples from Juggernaut and Baroo are being transported to a Perth laboratory, with assays expected in August or September. Great Western plans to use the results to refine targets ahead of follow-up drilling.
The company also expects to report results from recently completed air-core drilling at the Diorama Copper-Gold Target later in July.
Great Western held $3.4 million in cash at the end of June 2026.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Great Western Exploration
