Tanami Gold NL has released final assay results from its 2025 drilling campaigns at the Jims Gold Mine and Defa Prospect, confirming extensive gold mineralisation and promising high-grade zones that could underpin future mining development.
- 11-hole drilling at Jims confirms mineralisation over 900m strike and 500m depth
- High-grade intercepts include 29.12 g/t gold over 4m and 10.89 g/t over 5.11m
- Defa Prospect drilling returns narrow but significant gold intercepts
- Further resource definition drilling planned post-wet season
- MGX Resources progressing acquisition of Northern Star’s JV interest
Jims Gold Mine Drilling Delivers Encouraging Continuity
Tanami Gold NL has announced the final assay results from its 2025 drilling program at the historic Jims Gold Mine, part of the Central Tanami Project Joint Venture (CTPJV). The 11-hole Reverse Circulation pre-collar and Diamond Core tail drilling campaign was designed to test the down-dip and northern extensions of known gold mineralisation. The results confirm a continuous mineralised zone extending approximately 900 metres along strike and 500 metres vertically, with mineralisation still open to the north and at depth.
Noteworthy intercepts include a standout 4 metres grading 29.12 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 282 metres depth, and a 5.11-metre interval at 10.89 g/t gold from 558 metres. These high-grade zones underscore the potential for both open pit cutbacks and underground mining development along the main Jims lode.
Defa Prospect Shows Early-Stage Promise
Alongside Jims, a six-hole Reverse Circulation drilling program at the Defa Prospect returned several narrow but significant gold intercepts, including 2 metres at 5.05 g/t and 2 metres at 5.27 g/t gold. Defa, located about 10 kilometres southwest of the Central Tanami Mill, remains an early-stage target with mineralisation hosted in quartz veins within basalt and sediment units.
Strategic JV and Future Plans
The Central Tanami Project is a 50/50 joint venture between Tanami Gold and Northern Star Resources Limited. Notably, MGX Resources Limited is in the process of acquiring Northern Star’s 50% interest in the JV, pending satisfaction of remaining conditions and regulatory approvals expected before March 2026.
Tanami Gold’s Director Brett Smith highlighted the significance of the drilling results, emphasizing the potential for Jims to complement the nearby Groundrush deposit as a baseload source of gold within the project. The company plans to resume drilling at Jims after the Northern Australian wet season, focusing on resource definition to upgrade confidence in the mineral resource and support future mining studies.
Technical Rigor and Reporting
The drilling and sampling programs adhered to industry best practices, with detailed geological logging, rigorous quality control, and comprehensive assay verification. While the reported intercepts are down-hole lengths and true widths remain to be determined, the consistency of mineralisation across multiple holes reinforces the robustness of the findings.
With nearly 30,000 metres drilled across multiple targets in 2025, including Jims, Defa, Gallifrey, Western Dolerite, and Groundrush, the Central Tanami Project continues to build a strong exploration foundation. The next phase will be critical in translating these promising results into defined resources and economic studies.
Bottom Line?
As Tanami Gold advances resource definition at Jims and awaits JV ownership clarity, the Central Tanami Project’s gold potential is poised for a pivotal phase.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the pending MGX acquisition impact project development timelines and strategy?
- What are the next steps and timelines for resource upgrades at Jims following the upcoming drilling?
- How might the high-grade zones at Jims influence the feasibility of combined open pit and underground mining?