Ballard Mining Accelerates Mt Ida Growth with Ambitious 2026 Drilling Program

Resuming Momentum at Mt Ida

Ballard Mining (ASX – BM1) has kicked off its 2026 exploration and development campaign at the Mt Ida Gold Project in Western Australia’s prolific Goldfields region. Following a substantial 86,000-metre infill drilling program completed in late 2025, the company confirmed a robust resource of 930,000 ounces at a high-grade 4.1 grams per tonne at its flagship Baldock deposit. This foundational work sets the stage for an updated JORC-compliant Mineral Resource Estimate expected by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

With drilling now resumed, Ballard is pursuing a dual-track strategy – expanding the resource base while advancing project development milestones. The company is well-positioned with full mining and environmental permits in place, including approvals for both open pit and underground mining, a processing plant, and water abstraction licenses.

Targeting Resource Growth and Scale

Ballard’s 2026 drilling program is ambitious, focusing on extending the Baldock deposit both along strike and at depth; targeting mineralisation between 350 and 750 metres below surface. The company aims to leverage Baldock’s fully permitted status to underpin a maiden Ore Reserve, anticipated in the second quarter, which will support an initial 5-6 year mine life with potential for extension.

Beyond Baldock, Ballard is systematically testing 53 regional exploration targets across its 26-kilometre tenure. These include promising prospects such as Kestrel, Golden Vale, West Knell, Bombay, and newer discoveries like Neptune, Astro, and Pluto. Early drilling results from these areas have shown encouraging mineralisation, suggesting multiple avenues for resource growth.

Building on a Strong Foundation

The Mt Ida Project currently hosts a JORC-compliant Mineral Resource Estimate of 10.3 million tonnes at 3.3 g/t gold, equating to 1.1 million ounces. Baldock alone accounts for the majority of this resource, with 930,000 ounces at 4.1 g/t. The project benefits from a stable geological team and continuity in drilling contractors, which supports steady progress and growing geological understanding.

Feasibility-level geotechnical and metallurgical studies are underway, complementing the exploration efforts and advancing the project towards development readiness. Ballard’s Managing Director, Paul Brennan, emphasised the company’s strong funding position and the exciting pipeline of news flow expected as assay results and development milestones unfold throughout the year.

Outlook for 2026 and Beyond

Ballard is targeting a significant scale-up of its Mineral Resource Estimate to between 1.5 and 2.0 million ounces by the end of 2026, driven by both extensional drilling at Baldock and regional exploration success. The company’s strategy to combine resource growth with project development aims to deliver a standalone operation with a robust mine life and multiple development options.

With full permitting in place and a clear pathway to production, Mt Ida is shaping up as a compelling gold project in Western Australia’s competitive landscape. Investors and industry watchers will be keenly awaiting the upcoming resource updates and maiden Ore Reserve announcement, which will provide critical clarity on the project’s economic potential.