Trek Metals Awards RC Drilling Contract After High-Grade Manganese IP Breakthrough

Petrophysical Breakthrough at Kuro

Trek Metals Limited (ASX:TKM) has delivered encouraging news from its Christmas Creek Project in Western Australia, revealing petrophysical testing results that strongly support the use of Induced Polarisation (IP) geophysical surveys to explore beneath surface cover at the Kuro manganese discovery. Seven rock chip samples returned anomalously high chargeability values between 484 and 642 mV/V, paired with very low resistivity readings, indicating a robust electrical signature that should make subsurface extensions of the mineralisation detectable.

This breakthrough is significant because the Kuro Prospect’s mineralised outcrop, mapped over 750 metres, disappears beneath recent sand cover, leaving the extent of the deposit uncertain. The electrical properties measured provide a clear contrast to the surrounding sedimentary host rocks, giving Trek confidence that IP surveys will effectively delineate the mineralised system’s hidden parts.

Strategic Survey and Drilling Plans

Building on these results, Trek has designed a two-stage IP survey program. The initial Gradient Array IP (GAIP) survey will rapidly screen the entire discovery area and along strike for anomalies indicative of manganese mineralisation. Priority targets identified by GAIP will then be investigated with more detailed Dipole-Dipole IP (DDIP) lines to provide depth information and refine drill targets.

Complementing the geophysics, Trek has awarded a Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling contract to Precision Exploration Drilling (PXD), a contractor with proven experience in the Kimberley region and familiarity with Trek’s projects. Drilling is targeted to commence in late April or early May 2026, subject to heritage clearance and weather conditions, aiming to test down-dip and along-strike extensions of the high-grade surface mineralisation and gravity anomalies recently identified.

High-Grade Manganese and Project Context

The Kuro Prospect has already demonstrated exceptional manganese grades, with assays reaching up to 60.1% Mn and an average around 50%. The mineralisation is interpreted as hydrothermal, analogous to the world-class Woodie Woodie manganese deposits in Western Australia. Its high density (dry bulk density up to 4.47 g/cm³) also produces gravity anomalies that have been mapped, further aiding exploration targeting.

Trek’s CEO, Derek Marshall, emphasised the significance of the petrophysical results, noting the strong electrical signature of the mineralisation and the strategic advantage this provides in rapidly identifying drill targets beneath cover. He also highlighted the company’s strong financial position following a recent capital raise, enabling the swift advancement of exploration activities.

Looking Ahead

While the recent helicopter-borne electromagnetic and magnetic surveys did not detect significant responses over Kuro, this aligns with the variable inductive conductivity observed in samples and does not detract from the promise of the IP method. The upcoming geophysical surveys and drilling campaign will be critical in defining the scale and continuity of the mineralisation, potentially unlocking a new high-grade manganese resource in the Kimberley region.