Lode Resources Unveils Spectacular High-Grade Assays at Montezuma Project

Inaugural Assays Confirm Montezuma’s High-Grade Potential

Lode Resources Ltd (ASX: LDR) has delivered a promising update from its recently acquired Montezuma Antimony Project, located in Tasmania’s renowned West Coast Mining Province. The company announced the receipt of an inaugural batch of drill core assays that reveal spectacularly high-grade antimony (Sb) and silver (Ag) mineralisation, alongside notable gold (Au), copper (Cu), and tin (Sn) values.

These results not only confirm the deposit’s high-grade nature but also suggest that mineralisation is generally much wider than previously understood. Highlights include intercepts such as 12.02% Sb with 1,677 g/t Ag and 1.16 g/t Au over 2.6 metres, and multiple other zones exceeding 5% Sb with accompanying precious and base metals.

Broader Mineralisation and Strategic Importance

The Montezuma deposit remains open to the north, south, and at depth, indicating significant exploration upside. Surface mapping and sampling are ongoing to extend known mineralisation along strike. The project’s location near established mining centres like Rosebery, Renison Bell, and Zeehan provides logistical advantages, including existing beneficiation infrastructure such as crushers, mills, gravity tables, and a tailings dam.

Antimony is classified as a critical metal by the Australian Federal and Tasmanian State Governments, as well as by many advanced economies worldwide. This status is underscored by recent supply constraints, including China’s export ban on antimony to the United States, which has driven prices to record highs. Montezuma stands out as Tasmania’s only antimony project, positioning Lode Resources strategically within this tightening market.

Upcoming Drilling and Development Plans

Lode is finalising plans for an extensive diamond drilling program exceeding 10,000 metres, aimed at testing extensions of the deposit both down dip and along strike. This program is expected to provide further clarity on the deposit’s scale and grade continuity. Meanwhile, development activities have commenced with portal box cut and exploration drive construction, yielding high-grade mineralisation samples from development faces and stockpiled material.

Advanced metallurgical test work has demonstrated promising recovery rates, including 90% antimony recovery and high-grade silver and lead concentrates. Further metallurgical studies are planned to optimise product streams and support potential pilot-scale beneficiation.

A Deposit with Multi-Metal Potential

The Montezuma deposit is a structurally controlled lode hosted primarily within the Montezuma fault zone, with mineralisation characterized by jamesonite and stibnite minerals. The presence of significant gold, copper, tin, and lead alongside antimony and silver enhances the project’s overall value proposition. This polymetallic nature could provide diversified revenue streams and reduce commodity price risk.

Managing Director Ted Leschke expressed optimism, noting the team’s surprise at the gold grades and the potential for further extensions. He highlighted the company’s experienced exploration team actively mapping and sampling to define the deposit’s strike length.

Strategic Timing Amid Global Supply Tightening

With global antimony supply tightening due to geopolitical factors and production declines, China’s output has fallen by 67% over the past decade, Montezuma’s development gains added significance. The project’s critical mineral status aligns with government strategies to bolster domestic supply chains for strategic metals.

As Lode Resources advances its exploration and development activities, the Montezuma Antimony Project is emerging as a potentially pivotal asset in the global critical minerals landscape.