Golden Horse Minerals (ASX:GHM) is progressing exploration with reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling at the 216,000-ounce Hopes Hill deposit.
The company reports that two diamond rigs and two RC rigs are on site at Southern Cross as it builds toward a maiden mineral resource estimate in H2 2026.
Drilling is focused on targeting deep extensions to better understand lode geometry, structural implications, and mineralisation style at depth, with current results demonstrating strong silica and biotite alteration alongside pyrrhotite and pyrite sulphide assemblages.
Key results include:
- 24.18m @ 2.2 grams per tonne gold from 378.82m, within a broad zone of mineralisation of 40.2m @ 1.5g/t gold from 378.82m. This represents the deepest mineralised intersection at Hopes Hill.
- 12m @ 7.3g/t gold from 116m, including 4m @ 20.2g/t gold from 124m
- 12m @ 3.1g/t gold from 132m, including 4m @ 7.6g/t gold from 140m
- 15m @ 1.6g/t gold from 160m, including 5m @ 3.3g/t gold from 166m
Managing Director Nicholas Anderson says the results demonstrate the ‘high-quality’ structure of Hopes Hill with strong, wide mineralisation at depth.
“This intercept of 24.1m @ 2.2g/t gold from 378.8m within a broader mineralised zone of approximately 40m opens up an exciting new area for our geologists to target with the diamond drill bit 350m below surface,” Anderson says.
“This intercept is located under the previously mined Hopes Hill pit, which was only mined to an average 50m depth from surface primarily due to historic access constraints.
“Most pleasingly, the additional results from RC drilling in holes 26HHRC143, 26HHRC146, and 26HHRC147, which all returned 12m or greater downhole lengths of mineralisation, all point to a consistently mineralised system that is relatively close to surface and outside the immediate pit environs, boding well for future development of this impressive mineralised system.”
RC and diamond drilling are ongoing, alongside core logging and assaying, with results expected to be released progressively.
Outside of Hopes Hill, Golden Horse has additional active regional programs underway, including rock chip and soil sampling, completion of RC drilling at Greenmount, commencement of drilling at two additional prospects in Southern Cross, and further drill planning.
Golden Horse Minerals is a gold exploration company in Western Australia’s Southern Cross region.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Images: Golden Horse Minerals
