St Barbara (ASX:SBM) has upped Nova Scotia exploration spending by 64% to $4.1 million for the 2027 financial year as the company doubles the size of its exploration team.
The company plans to complete up to 105 reverse circulation (RC) and interface RC drill holes for 4,400m across five to seven targets between Q4 2026 and 2027.
The program includes resource extension drilling at 15-Mile and exploration drilling at Dufferin, Lower Seal Harbour, and Isaacs Harbour within a 75km radius of the proposed 15-Mile Processing Hub Project.
St Barbara also intends to conduct reconnaissance drilling at Patton, Falcon, and Little Meander targets using up to 76 drill holes for 1,900m.
CEO Andrew Strelein says the increase in exploration spend and doubling of the exploration team will allow the company to maximise its opportunities in Nova Scotia.
The company will acquire approximately 50km² of high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicle magnetic survey data across the 15-Mile, Old Austen Mine, and Touquoy deposits to support drill targeting.
It also plans to collect more than 2,000 till and rock chip samples across 14 priority areas — an 80% increase from 1,100 samples in 2026 — testing the 15-Mile area and regional targets.
A Nova Scotia-wide gold prospectivity study covering the Meguma Terrane will likewise be conducted, supporting the prioritisation of the pipeline of 58 exploration targets across more than 40,000km².
St Barbara’s Atlantic tenement holding includes one mining lease and 172 exploration licences comprising 4,206 claims covering 681km². The tenements contain 58 active exploration targets ranging from conceptual stage through to the Touquoy mining operation, scheduled to restart in December 2026.
The company received a C$100,000 ($100,817) Mineral Resources Development Fund grant from the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables to cover 50% of the Patton program costs.
Patton represents an opportunity for critical minerals, gold, tin, and indium 6km southwest of the historical East Kemptville Tin Mine.
Drilling is planned to start in mid-August and take up to two months to complete, subject to access approvals and community consultation.
St Barbara is a gold explorer and developer focused on the development of long-life assets, with operations spanning Papua New Guinea and Canada.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
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