Strickland Metals has announced a maiden inferred resource of 1.2 million ounces of gold at its Gradina Deposit, lifting the total Rogozna Project resources by 16% to 8.6 million ounces gold equivalent. The company plans an ambitious 60,000-metre drilling campaign in 2026 to further expand and define its Serbian gold-base metals assets.
- Maiden inferred resource of 12Mt @ 3.0g/t Au (1.2Moz) at Gradina Deposit
- Total Rogozna Project resource grows ~16% to 8.6Moz AuEq
- Record 46,737m drilled in 2025 with strong results across multiple prospects
- 2026 drilling program planned to increase by 20% to 60,000m
- Well-funded with $38.23M in cash and liquid investments at December 2025
Gradina Deposit Maiden Resource Marks Key Milestone
Strickland Metals Limited has delivered a significant boost to its flagship Rogozna Project in Serbia with the announcement of a maiden inferred mineral resource at the Gradina Deposit. The new resource estimate stands at 12 million tonnes grading 3.0 grams per tonne gold, equating to 1.2 million ounces of gold. This addition lifts the total inferred resource at Rogozna by approximately 16%, taking the project’s gold equivalent resource base to 8.6 million ounces.
The Gradina resource is economically constrained using an optimised underground mining method and a long-term gold price assumption of US$2,500 per ounce. Notably, the deposit’s core boasts a robust 3,100 gold ounces per vertical metre, underscoring its high-grade potential. The discovery cost remains impressively low at US$10 per ounce of gold, highlighting the efficiency of Strickland’s exploration approach.
Strong Drilling Results Across Multiple Prospects
The December quarter saw continued drilling success with 18 significant drill holes reported, focusing on both extensional and infill targets. The 2025 campaign was the largest in the project’s history, with 79 holes completed for a total of 46,737 metres drilled. Highlights include thick zones of gold-zinc mineralisation at Gradina, high-grade gold intercepts at the Shanac Deposit, and promising copper-gold mineralisation at the Copper Canyon Prospect.
At Shanac, the cornerstone deposit with 5.3 million ounces gold equivalent, drilling continues to refine higher-grade zones, with a resource update expected in the first quarter of 2026. Meanwhile, Kotlovi Prospect, a new discovery adjacent to the Medenovac deposit, has shown encouraging skarn-hosted mineralisation, expanding the known footprint over a 300-metre strike length.
Exploration Strategy and Future Drilling Plans
Strickland is targeting near-term growth at Gradina’s “gap zone” between the northern and southern parts of the deposit, along strike extensions, and at depth. A recent gravity survey has defined a new structural framework, identifying three major mineralisation-controlling structures that will guide discovery drilling in 2026. Although a planned magnetotelluric survey was delayed, it is rescheduled for early 2026 to further refine drill targets, particularly for porphyry-related copper-gold systems.
The company plans to ramp up its drilling program by 20% in 2026, aiming for approximately 60,000 metres of drilling. This will focus on resource definition, extensions of known deposits, and exploration of new targets generated from recent geophysical and geochemical data.
Corporate and Financial Position
Strickland remains well-capitalised heading into its 2026 exploration program, with cash and liquid investments totalling $38.23 million at the end of December 2025. The company also completed the sale of its Bryah Basin Project in Western Australia for $200,000 cash plus a 2% net smelter royalty, allowing it to concentrate resources on the Rogozna Project. Exploration expenditure for the quarter was $7.16 million, primarily directed at Rogozna.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives continue to advance, with baseline studies underway and governance strengthened through new leadership appointments. Strickland is progressing towards a pre-feasibility study for Rogozna, targeting delivery in the first half of 2027.
Bottom Line?
With a maiden resource at Gradina and a record drilling program behind it, Strickland Metals is poised for a pivotal year of exploration and development at Rogozna in 2026.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the upcoming magnetotelluric survey reshape Strickland’s exploration targets?
- What impact will the planned 60,000m drilling program have on resource growth and project economics?
- How will ESG initiatives influence permitting and community relations as Rogozna advances?