Salanie Drilling Yields 5.8m @ 8.2g/t Au and 11.7m @ 4.3g/t Au in 2025 Campaign

Exploration Progress at Salanie

Apollo Minerals Limited (ASX: AON) has announced the completion of its 2025 Phase 2 drilling campaign at the Salanie Gold Project in Gabon, marking a significant milestone in the company’s exploration efforts within this underexplored greenstone belt. The program, which focused on key prospects A1, A3, and P6, has delivered encouraging shallow high-grade gold mineralisation results that build on the promising outcomes from the 2024 campaign.

The rig has now been demobilised following the completion of 14 diamond drill holes totaling 1,695 metres. Assay results have been received for eight holes, with three more pending, underscoring the ongoing potential of the project.

Key Drilling Highlights

Among the standout intercepts are 5.8 metres grading 8.2 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 15.5 metres downhole and a broader zone of 11.7 metres at 4.3 g/t Au from 9.6 metres at the A1 prospect. These results confirm the presence of shallow, high-grade mineralisation that is accessible and potentially amenable to open-pit mining.

At the P6 prospect, drilling has intersected a felsic intrusive unit hosting quartz veining with assays up to 20 g/t Au over 1.1 metres, alongside additional significant intercepts such as 1.0 metre at 3.6 g/t Au. Notably, a quartz-sulphide vein zone extending over 180 metres strike has been consistently intersected in all six holes drilled at P6, indicating a robust mineralised system beneath historical underground workings.

Structural Controls and Mineralisation Continuity

The drilling has also shed light on the structural controls governing mineralisation at Salanie. A wide zone of brecciation, alteration, and quartz veining was intersected in hole SLDD018, located 170 metres south of A1 along the interpreted Salanie Fault structure. This finding supports the potential for mineralised structures extending between the A1 and A3 prospects, suggesting continuity along strike and the possibility of further high-grade zones yet to be delineated.

These structural insights are critical as they guide future exploration targeting and resource definition, enhancing the prospectivity of the 12-kilometre prospective greenstone belt that hosts the project.

Technical Rigor and Forward Outlook

The company employed a combination of advanced assay techniques, including Photon Assay and fire assay methods, ensuring robust and reliable data quality. Apollo’s technical team, led by Competent Person Alex Aitken, has validated the results in accordance with JORC Code standards.

Managing Director Neil Inwood highlighted the significance of the results, noting the open nature of mineralisation to the north and south at A1 and the consistent high-grade intercepts at P6. The company is awaiting the remaining assay results and plans to advance further exploration activities to expand and upgrade the resource base.

While the exploration progress is promising, Apollo Minerals is also navigating regulatory uncertainties related to Gabonese sovereign mineral rights, which could influence future project ownership and royalties. The company is actively seeking legal clarity on this front.