Neometals reports strong gold assay results from its maiden diamond drilling at Barrambie’s Ironclad and Mystery prospects, confirming high-grade mineralisation and setting the stage for expanded exploration.
- Significant high-grade gold intercepts at Ironclad deposit
- Verification of mineralisation continuation below historic workings at Mystery
- Drilling reveals structural controls on gold mineralisation
- Plans for follow-up infill and extension drilling underway
- Barrambie Project shows potential for camp-scale gold discoveries
Exploration Breakthrough at Barrambie
Neometals Ltd (ASX, NMT) has delivered a promising update from its inaugural 2025 diamond drilling campaign at the Barrambie Gold Project in Western Australia. The program, focused on the Ironclad deposit and the nearby Mystery prospect, returned multiple high-grade gold intercepts that validate and extend the existing Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) at Ironclad, while confirming mineralisation below historic workings at Mystery.
The drilling campaign, completed over May and June 2025, comprised eight holes totaling 760.4 meters. At Ironclad, seven holes tested structural and geological controls within the current 13,000-ounce inferred resource. The standout intercepts include 6.2 meters grading 9.87 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au), including a 3-meter section at 19.78 g/t, and other intervals with visible gold and grades exceeding 10 g/t. Meanwhile, a single hole at Mystery returned 10.2 meters at 2.72 g/t Au, including 1.45 meters at 8.97 g/t, confirming the continuity of mineralisation beneath old underground workings.
New Geological Insights
Beyond assay results, the diamond drilling provided critical structural data that sheds light on the controls of gold mineralisation at Barrambie. The higher-grade gold appears predominantly hosted within narrow, northwest-trending, subvertical shear zones in the Barrambie layered gabbro, often accompanied by quartz and carbonate veining. These structures mimic the geological contact between gabbro and adjacent meta-sediments, suggesting a strong structural control on mineralisation distribution.
Neometals’ geologists identified multiple vein sets with varying orientations and gold content, indicating a complex but coherent mineralising system. The interplay of these structures and veins offers a refined exploration model that will guide future drilling campaigns.
Strategic Next Steps
Building on these encouraging results, Neometals plans further infill and extension drilling at Ironclad to grow the current resource base. Step-out drilling at Mystery aims to delineate the extent of mineralisation along strike and at depth. Additionally, initial drilling is slated for other high-priority targets along the 4-kilometer Barrambie trend, including the historic Barrambie Ranges mine, which has seen minimal modern exploration.
Managing Director Chris Reed highlighted the significance of the findings, stating that the drilling has provided valuable new insights into the structural controls on gold mineralisation and expressed optimism about the project’s potential. The Barrambie Gold Project, with its historical high-grade production and underexplored tenure, is emerging as a compelling opportunity for camp-scale gold discoveries.
Context Within Neometals’ Portfolio
Neometals’ Barrambie Project is notable not only for its gold potential but also for hosting one of the world’s highest-grade titanium deposits. While the titanium and vanadium assets are currently in divestment, the company is actively advancing gold exploration, marking a strategic pivot to unlock value from its diverse mineral portfolio. The recent drilling results reinforce the rationale for this focus, positioning Barrambie as a key growth asset.
Despite some challenges such as lost core intervals and the need to validate historic data under modern reporting standards, the company’s methodical approach and robust assay protocols provide confidence in the results. The next phases of exploration will be critical to converting these early successes into a substantial resource upgrade.
Bottom Line?
Neometals’ Barrambie drilling breakthrough sets the stage for resource expansion and renewed investor interest.
Questions in the middle?
- How will follow-up drilling refine the size and grade of the Barrambie gold resource?
- What impact will structural insights have on targeting new high-grade zones?
- How might the divestment of titanium assets influence funding and focus for gold exploration?