Golden Plateau Drilling Raises Stakes for Cracow Mine’s Future

Golden Plateau Drilling Delivers Early Encouragement

Aeris Resources Limited (ASX, AIS) has kicked off its latest exploration campaign at the Golden Plateau deposit within its Cracow mining leases in Queensland with encouraging results. The first two diamond drill holes of a planned 30-hole program have returned significant gold intersections, including a standout 5-metre interval grading 12.7 grams per tonne (g/t) from the Fernyside lode and a broader 19.3-metre zone averaging 0.9 g/t gold from the Main lode.

These results reinforce the continuity of high-grade mineralisation historically mined in the area and validate the company’s geological model, which anticipates both discrete high-grade shoots and extensive lower-grade stockwork veining. The Fernyside lode’s high-grade hit lies along strike from the former open pit mine, while the Main lode intersection occurs beneath the old pit, confirming mineralisation between historic underground workings.

Strategic Importance for Cracow’s Future

Executive Chairman Andre Labuschagne emphasised the significance of these early findings, noting that Golden Plateau could become a major ore source for the Cracow operation. With approximately 850,000 ounces of gold historically produced from the area between the 1930s and 1990s, the deposit has long been a cornerstone of Cracow’s goldfield. The current drilling program aims to refine geological interpretations and support mine design, potentially extending the mine’s life well beyond current projections.

The program also serves multiple technical objectives, including collecting geotechnical data for mine planning, metallurgical samples to assess recovery rates at the Cracow processing plant, and geochemical samples to inform environmental management strategies. Sixteen holes have been completed to date, with assay results being returned progressively. The program is scheduled for completion in May 2026.

Balancing Historical Legacy with Modern Exploration

Golden Plateau’s mineralisation is hosted in steeply dipping epithermal veins within andesitic host rocks, a style well understood by Aeris’s technical team. The company’s approach leverages over 1,200 historical drill holes and detailed geological interpretations to target both high-grade veins and broader stockwork zones. Early drilling has intersected several historical mining voids, confirming the accuracy of existing models and providing confidence in the continuity of mineralisation.

While the initial results are promising, Aeris cautions that the updated internal grade model does not yet constitute a formal Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve. Further drilling and assay results will be critical to fully assess the economic potential of Golden Plateau and its role in Cracow’s future production profile.