Historical Drilling Reveals Tungsten Intercepts up to 5.3% WO3 at Apollo’s Couflens Project

Historical Data Review Highlights High-Grade Tungsten

Apollo Minerals Limited (ASX:AON) has announced the first phase of its historical data review at the Couflens Project in France, revealing significant high-grade tungsten mineralisation in unmined zones, particularly around the Veronique Zone. The review has identified multiple historical drill intercepts with tungsten grades reaching up to 5.3% WO3, underscoring the potential of this area within the broader Couflens licence.

The Couflens Project encompasses the former Salau mine, historically one of the world’s highest-grade tungsten producers, which operated until 1986 with an average mining grade of 2.5% WO3 in its final year. Apollo Minerals’ review has compiled a substantial dataset comprising 950 diamond drill holes and 2,700 underground face samples, with ongoing validation and digitisation efforts focusing initially on the Veronique Zone below the 1320 level.

Exploration Potential and Mineralisation Styles

Significant intercepts adjacent to the unmined Veronique Zone include intervals such as 20.0 metres at 1.4% WO3, 12.6 metres at 1.6% WO3, and 9.2 metres at 2.1% WO3, among others. The Veronique Zone itself produced an average grade of 2.8% WO3 during the last six months of mining in 1986. Notably, several drill holes logged scheelite mineralisation that were never sampled, suggesting additional exploration upside.

In addition to tungsten, the project shows potential for gold mineralisation associated with tungsten, with surface samples reaching up to 24.5 grams per tonne gold. The gold is interpreted to be linked to hydrothermal fluids focused by east-west trending faults within the La Fourque granodiorite intrusion, which also hosts the tungsten skarn mineralisation. This dual mineralisation style, combining skarn scheelite and intrusion-related gold, offers a complex but promising exploration model.

Project Development and Regulatory Status

Apollo Minerals is actively progressing permitting, government and local stakeholder engagement, and discussions with potential contractors to facilitate mine access and future drilling. The Couflens exploration permit was reinstated for five years in early 2026, although a third-party appeal against this reinstatement remains outstanding, introducing some regulatory uncertainty.

This announcement follows a series of recent capital raises, including a $2.8 million investment from Tribeca Investment Partners in February 2026, which was aimed at accelerating exploration and development activities at Couflens. The company’s ongoing efforts to validate historical data and prepare for drilling are integral to advancing one of Europe’s premier tungsten opportunities, as noted in the recent Tribeca Injects $2.8M, Secures 5.6% Stake in Apollo Minerals’ Couflens Push.

Geological Setting and Future Work

The Salau deposit is a tungsten-bearing skarn formed at the contact between Devonian pelites and calcareous sediments and the Permian La Fourque granodiorite intrusion. Mineralisation styles include skarn scheelite and massive sulphide with scheelite, with gold mineralisation associated with later-stage fault structures. The system remains open at depth and along strike, with additional unmined zones such as Christine and Quer de l’Aigle presenting further targets.

Future work plans include underground channel sampling, airborne geophysical surveys, and both underground and surface drilling to test known mineralised zones and new targets. Metallurgical test work is also planned to refine processing methods and assess other economic minerals.