400m High-Grade Gold Zone Confirmed Beneath Cinnamon Resource by Catalyst Metals

A New Chapter for Cinnamon

Catalyst Metals Limited (ASX, CYL) has announced compelling new drilling results from its Cinnamon trend within the Plutonic Gold Belt in Western Australia. The latest exploration confirms a high-grade gold zone extending approximately 400 metres beneath the existing Cinnamon open pit resource, which until now was relatively modest at 145,000 ounces. This discovery opens the door for Cinnamon to evolve into a significant underground ore source, potentially becoming the sixth such source feeding Catalyst’s operations.

The Cinnamon trend lies about 25 kilometres northeast of the Plutonic processing plant, a facility currently operating below capacity. The new mineralisation zone, confirmed through a series of drill holes spaced at 50 metres, has returned impressive intercepts including 18 metres at 9.7 grams per tonne and 22 metres at 14.3 grams per tonne gold, underscoring the high-grade nature of the find.

Strategic Growth and Production Outlook

This discovery is timely for Catalyst as it pursues its 10-year production plan aiming to double annual gold output from around 100,000 ounces to 200,000 ounces. Currently, production is sourced from three main open pit mines; Plutonic Main, Plutonic East, and Trident; with new underground mines K2 and Old Highway in development. Cinnamon’s potential addition as a sixth underground source would provide valuable optionality and further underpin the company’s growth ambitions.

Under Catalyst’s stewardship, the Plutonic Belt’s reserves have tripled, a remarkable achievement that has significantly de-risked the company’s long-term outlook. The company is also advancing drilling programs at K2 and Old Highway, maintaining a robust exploration pipeline. In parallel, Catalyst has commissioned a study to evaluate restarting a second processing plant at Plutonic, which has been on care and maintenance since 2010, to support future expansion and increased throughput.

Exploration and Geological Insights

The Cinnamon trend represents a largely underexplored 3-kilometre corridor with limited historical drilling focused on shallow targets. Catalyst’s recent drilling has targeted deeper, high-grade mineralisation hosted within sedimentary conglomerates; a departure from the mafic and ultramafic hosts of other Plutonic deposits. This geological diversity enhances the exploration upside and suggests the Plutonic Belt may hold further untapped resources.

Drilling techniques have combined reverse circulation and diamond core methods, with rigorous quality control measures ensuring reliable assay data. The company plans to continue infill and extensional drilling to delineate the full extent of the mineralised zone both along strike and at depth, aiming to convert resources into reserves and integrate Cinnamon into the production schedule.

Looking Ahead

While Cinnamon is not yet included in Catalyst’s current production plan, the high-grade results provide a tangible pathway to extend mine life and increase annual production. The company’s strategic focus on exploration success and infrastructure optimisation positions it well to capitalise on Western Australia’s rich gold endowment. Investors will be watching closely as further drilling results and feasibility studies unfold, potentially reshaping the future of the Plutonic Gold Belt.