New Murchison Gold Uncovers High-Grade Shallow Gold at Crown Prince
New Murchison Gold Limited has reported impressive high-grade gold intercepts from shallow drilling at its Crown Prince Gold Project, suggesting a richer and thicker caprock resource than previously estimated.
- 212 shallow grade control drill holes completed at Crown Prince
- High-grade gold intercepts including 9m at 18.71g/t Au and 8m at 9.99g/t Au
- Caprock resource grade and thickness expected to increase
- Updated resource and mining models planned ahead of production
- Deeper drilling to 50m planned to further delineate mineralisation
Shallow Drilling Reveals Unexpected Richness
New Murchison Gold Limited (ASX:NMG) has announced a significant breakthrough at its Crown Prince Gold Project, part of the broader Garden Gully Gold Project near Meekatharra, Western Australia. The company’s recent grade control drilling program, comprising 212 shallow vertical holes targeting the lateritic caprock zone above the ore body, has returned high-grade gold intercepts that surpass earlier expectations.
Notable results include intercepts such as 9 metres at 18.71 grams per tonne gold from just 1 metre depth, and 8 metres at 9.99 grams per tonne from surface. These findings highlight the presence of richer mineralisation within the caprock, a zone previously considered lower grade and often earmarked for stockpiling rather than immediate processing.
Implications for Resource and Mining Plans
The high-grade results are concentrated mainly along the centre of the South-Eastern Zone and above the Northern Zone of the Crown Prince ore body. This has prompted New Murchison Gold to anticipate an increase in both the grade and thickness of the caprock resource. The company plans to incorporate these new data points into updated grade control and resource models, which will inform short-term mining plans ahead of production.
Previously, the caprock material was intended to be stockpiled early in the mine plan. However, with these elevated grades, the company now expects more of this material to be processed directly, potentially increasing early gold output. Additionally, under an existing ore purchase agreement, more material may be sent to Westgold, enhancing operational flexibility.
Strategic Positioning Towards Production
The Crown Prince deposit is a key asset within the Garden Gully project, which covers a substantial 677 square kilometres in the prolific Murchison goldfield. New Murchison Gold recently completed a maiden Ore Reserve and Feasibility Study in early 2025, positioning the company on track to become a gold producer.
CEO Alex Passmore expressed optimism about the results, noting that the shallow high-grade gold intercepts exceed expectations and will positively influence upcoming resource updates and mining schedules. The company is also planning follow-up drilling with deeper and inclined holes extending to 50 metres vertical depth to better understand the extent and continuity of mineralisation.
Technical Rigor and Future Outlook
The drilling program employed slim reverse circulation techniques with rigorous sampling and assay protocols, including fire assay and quality control measures. The results have been verified by competent persons and are considered robust for informing resource estimation.
While the true widths of mineralisation are yet to be fully determined due to vertical drilling orientation, the data collected so far provide a promising outlook. The company’s methodical approach to updating models and mining plans reflects a disciplined progression towards commercial production.
Bottom Line?
New Murchison Gold’s high-grade shallow intercepts at Crown Prince could reshape early mining plans and boost near-term production prospects.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the updated grade control model affect the overall economics of the Crown Prince project?
- What are the expected timelines and results for the planned deeper drilling to 50 metres?
- How might increased caprock processing impact the ore purchase agreement with Westgold?
