Metals Australia has commenced a significant drilling campaign at its Warrego East Project in the Northern Territory, aiming to unlock copper, gold, and bismuth resources adjacent to historic mines in the Tennant Creek Mineral Field.
- Over 3,000 metres of drilling planned across five key targets
- Targets lie near historically productive Warrego and White Devil mines
- Drilling focuses on blind, sub-surface ironstone bodies with geophysical anomalies
- Historic shallow drilling showed anomalous copper and bismuth at two targets
- Program expected to complete by end of July 2025
Exploration Momentum Builds in Tennant Creek
Metals Australia Ltd (ASX – MLS) has mobilised its drilling contractor and field team to commence an initial 3,000-metre drilling program at its Warrego East Project in the Northern Territory. This campaign targets five significant geophysical anomalies interpreted as ironstone bodies prospective for copper, gold, and bismuth mineralisation. The project is strategically located adjacent to the historically significant Warrego and White Devil mines within the prolific Tennant Creek Mineral Field.
The Tennant Creek region has a rich mining history, with the Warrego Mine alone having produced nearly 4.75 million tonnes of ore grading 2% copper and 8 grams per tonne gold before its closure in 1989. The White Devil Mine, just south of the Warrego East tenement, delivered high-grade gold production, underscoring the district’s potential. Metals Australia’s targets are interpreted to be blind, sub-surface ironstone pods similar in geological setting to these past producers, identified through a combination of magnetic and gravity geophysical surveys.
Targeting Blind Deposits with Modern Techniques
The company’s exploration approach leverages recent reprocessing of airborne magnetics and a detailed ground gravity survey, which together have highlighted coincident magnetic and gravity highs; hallmarks of dense ironstone-hosted mineralisation typical of Tennant Creek-style deposits. Two of the five targets have historic shallow drilling data showing anomalous copper and low-level bismuth, suggesting mineralisation halos that warrant deeper testing. The remaining three targets are untested at depth, representing fresh exploration ground.
Drilling will be guided in near real-time by handheld XRF analysis to detect copper and bismuth signatures, allowing dynamic adjustment of hole depths and priorities. This adaptive strategy aims to efficiently assess the mineral potential of each target and inform follow-up drilling decisions.
Strategic Timing and Regional Interest
Metals Australia’s CEO Paul Ferguson highlighted the significance of the program’s timing, noting the combination of near-record gold prices and heightened regional exploration interest. The recent $80 million acquisition of a neighbouring mining group by Pan African Resources underscores the Tennant Creek Mineral Field’s growing appeal to investors and operators alike.
Beyond Warrego East, Metals Australia maintains a diversified portfolio including its flagship Lac Carheil graphite project in Quebec, which is advancing towards supplying battery-grade graphite to North American markets, and critical minerals projects in Western Australia. This breadth positions the company well to capitalize on multiple commodity cycles.
Looking Ahead
The Warrego East drilling program is expected to conclude by the end of July 2025, with results eagerly anticipated by the market. Success here could unlock new high-grade copper-gold resources in a historically productive district, potentially adding significant value to Metals Australia’s portfolio. However, as with all early-stage exploration, the outcomes remain uncertain and will depend on the interpretation of geophysical anomalies and assay results from the drill core.
Bottom Line?
As drilling progresses, Metals Australia’s Warrego East project could redefine copper-gold potential in Tennant Creek’s evolving mineral landscape.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the drilling confirm economically viable copper-gold mineralisation at the five targets?
- How might real-time XRF data influence the depth and scope of the drilling program?
- What impact could successful exploration have on Metals Australia’s valuation and regional partnerships?