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Illustration of drilling

Tungsten Mining launches major drilling at Watershed

Tungsten Mining (ASX:TGN) has begun a 250-hole drilling program at its Watershed Tungsten Project in Queensland to support an updated resource model and mine planning.

The campaign comprises 175 reverse circulation (RC) holes totalling approximately 15,000m and 75 diamond holes for around 5,700m.

RC drilling will focus on areas of known ‘high-grade’ mineralisation targeted for initial mining. North–south holes will reduce drill spacing to a 20m-by-20m pattern, providing additional data on mineralisation continuity, geometry, and grade distribution.

The four-month program will inform an updated mineral resource estimate and refinements to the proposed mine plan, mining schedules, and pit design.

The company says the diamond drilling is expected to run for approximately three months and will collect representative samples for metallurgical testing alongside geotechnical data for process engineering, pit design, and mine planning. The core will also be logged and assayed for inclusion in the updated resource model.

Chairman Gary Lyons says the program follows the Preliminary Economic Evaluation released in June 2026.

“The RC drilling is concentrated within areas of known high-grade mineralisation targeted for initial mining and is designed to provide greater confidence and definition for resource modelling and mine planning,” Lyons says.

“At the same time, the diamond program will provide the metallurgical samples and geotechnical information required to refine process design, pit design and detailed engineering.”

Initial drilling results are expected from October 2026.

The 100%-owned Watershed project lies about 130km north of Cairns on granted mining leases and holds an existing Environmental Authority for open-pit development.

Tungsten Mining acquired Watershed from Vital Metals (ASX:VML) in August 2018. Vital completed a Definitive Feasibility Study on the project in 2014.

Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au

Images: Mining.com.au
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Written By France Pinzon
France is an editor and writer with more than 15 years of experience in lifestyle media publishing, brand communications, and strategy. She has held senior editorial roles across print and digital publications and co-founded a boutique digital marketing agency. She is also a novelist and a collector of typewriters.