Premier1 Lithium has confirmed high-grade gold assays up to 10.5 g/t at the newly discovered Rochefort Prospect within its Abbotts North Project, signalling a promising new gold target in Western Australia’s Murchison region.
- High-grade gold assays up to 10.5 g/t Au from Rochefort Prospect
- Mineralised footprint defined over at least 40m by 40m, open to the south
- Gold associated with quartz-haematite veins in sheared gabbro
- Plans underway for first regional aircore drilling program
- Rochefort identified as a compelling new greenfields gold target
Discovery at Rochefort
Premier1 Lithium Limited (ASX, PLC) has announced a significant breakthrough with the identification of high-grade gold mineralisation at its Rochefort Prospect, part of the Abbotts North Project in Western Australia’s prolific Murchison region. Recent rock chip sampling has returned assays as high as 10.5 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, confirming the prospect as a new and promising target within the company’s tenure.
The Rochefort area, previously unexplored, has revealed a mineralised surface footprint measuring at least 40 by 40 metres, with gold anomalism remaining open to the south beneath shallow cover. This discovery is particularly notable given the gold mineralisation is hosted within a network of quartz-haematite veins cutting through sheared gabbro, a geological setting often associated with structurally controlled gold deposits.
Geological Context and Sampling
The rock chip sampling program collected over 100 samples, including follow-up assays that confirmed multiple high-grade gold occurrences. Besides the standout 10.5 g/t result, other significant assays included 4.8 g/t and 1.9 g/t gold. These results build on earlier findings from June 2025, which reported assays up to 11.7 g/t Au in the same area.
Detailed geological mapping has helped define the orientation and controls on mineralisation, highlighting the importance of the quartz-haematite vein system within the sheared gabbro unit. The company notes that the mineralised zone remains open, suggesting potential for further extensions beyond the current surface footprint.
Strategic Implications and Next Steps
Managing Director Jason Froud expressed enthusiasm about the Rochefort discovery, emphasizing the significance of encountering consistent high-grade gold over a defined area. He highlighted the prospect’s hallmark features as a compelling greenfields target and confirmed that preparations are underway to fast-track an aircore drilling program. This will be Premier1’s first regional drill campaign at Abbotts North, aimed at testing the depth and continuity of the mineralisation beneath the shallow cover.
Beyond Rochefort, Premier1 has also conducted broader sampling across the Abbotts North tenure, identifying additional gold-in-soil anomalies that support the project’s overall prospectivity. The company’s strategic focus on disciplined exploration and systematic evaluation positions it well to unlock further value from this underexplored region.
Regional Significance
The Abbotts North Project lies within the northern portion of the Murchison Greenstone Belt, a region historically known for gold production but with limited modern exploration within Premier1’s tenements. The project area is structurally complex, bounded by granites and hosting a variety of lithologies conducive to gold mineralisation. Nearby historical gold deposits such as New Murchison and Vranizan underscore the district’s potential.
Premier1’s discovery at Rochefort adds a fresh chapter to the exploration narrative in this part of Western Australia, suggesting that significant gold mineralisation remains to be delineated beneath shallow cover zones that have previously limited exploration success.
Bottom Line?
With high-grade gold confirmed and drilling imminent, Rochefort could redefine Premier1’s Abbotts North prospects and attract fresh market attention.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the upcoming aircore drilling confirm the depth and continuity of Rochefort’s gold mineralisation?
- How extensive is the mineralised system beyond the currently defined 40m by 40m surface footprint?
- What impact will Rochefort’s discovery have on Premier1 Lithium’s valuation and exploration strategy?