West Coast Silver’s latest diamond drilling at Elizabeth Hill reveals extraordinary silver grades and expands the known mineralised footprint, highlighting significant exploration upside in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
- 27.4m at 1,314 g/t silver intersected including bonanza grades up to 33,107 g/t
- Native silver found in multiple drill holes confirming high-grade mineralisation
- New mineralisation extends northwest beyond previous drilling limits
- High-grade silver hosted in granite, opening new exploration targets
- Further aircore drilling results pending with follow-up exploration planned
Exceptional Silver Grades Confirmed
West Coast Silver Limited (ASX, WCE) has announced highly encouraging assay results from its Phase 2 diamond drilling program at the Elizabeth Hill Joint Venture Project near Karratha in Western Australia. The drilling campaign intersected a remarkable 27.4 metres grading 1,314 grams per tonne (g/t) silver, including spectacular bonanza-grade intervals reaching up to 33,107 g/t silver over 0.35 metres. Native silver grains were visually identified in multiple drill holes, underscoring the exceptional quality of the mineralisation.
Expanding the Mineralised Footprint
Significantly, drill hole 25WCDD019 intersected high-grade silver mineralisation further northwest than any prior drilling, suggesting the mineralised system remains open and may extend substantially along strike. This extension beyond the historical footprint is a promising development, indicating that the Elizabeth Hill trend is far from fully delineated. The discovery of broad zones of near-surface mineralisation, such as 22 metres at 578 g/t silver from just 6 metres depth, highlights the potential for additional shallow targets.
Granite-Hosted Mineralisation Opens New Exploration Avenues
Another intriguing aspect of the results is the identification of high-grade silver mineralisation hosted predominantly in granite, rather than the previously dominant ultramafic host rocks. Drill holes 25WCDD019 and 25WCDD020 intersected long intervals of mineralisation within the hanging wall granite, a geological setting not previously recognised at Elizabeth Hill. This finding broadens the exploration scope to the west of the main mineralised zone and could signal new zones of silver mineralisation.
Validation of Historical Data and Confidence in Project Scale
The consistency of these high-grade results validates historical drilling and mining records, reinforcing Elizabeth Hill’s reputation as one of Australia’s highest-grade silver projects. The project’s history includes production of 1.2 million ounces of silver from just 16,830 tonnes of ore at an average grade of 2,194 g/t silver. The recent drilling results increase confidence in the potential scale of the mineralised system, supporting ongoing exploration and resource evaluation.
Next Steps in Exploration and Development
West Coast Silver is awaiting assay results from a 76-hole aircore drilling program completed in November 2025, expected by mid-February 2026. These results will help refine near-surface targets and guide follow-up reverse circulation and diamond drilling. The company plans detailed geological and structural reviews, surface and down-hole geophysical surveys, and is progressing a JORC Mineral Resource estimate alongside economic studies to evaluate development pathways. The project benefits from its location in a tier 1 mining jurisdiction with potential processing options nearby, although no agreements are currently in place.
Bottom Line?
With bonanza grades and new geological insights, Elizabeth Hill’s silver potential is shining brighter than ever, but the next drilling phase will be crucial to unlock its full scale.
Questions in the middle?
- How extensive is the newly discovered granite-hosted silver mineralisation?
- What will the pending aircore drilling results reveal about near-surface targets?
- How soon could a JORC Mineral Resource estimate translate into development plans?