Great Divide Mining’s joint venture partner Dart Mining confirms broad, shallow gold mineralisation at the Banshee Prospect, highlighting potential underestimation in historic drilling and advancing resource definition efforts.
- Broad, shallow gold zones confirmed with assays up to 14.6 g/t Au
- Diamond drilling reveals under-sampled gold mineralisation missed by historical RC drilling
- 3,586m drilled in 2025 with ongoing program targeting 4,000m
- Low silver and antimony in some gold zones suggest mineralisation variability
- Progress towards maiden JORC Mineral Resource Estimate underway
Broad Gold Zones Emerge from Diamond Drilling
Diamond drilling at Great Divide Mining’s (ASX:GDM) Coonambula Antimony-Gold Project, specifically at the Banshee Prospect, is revealing broader and shallower gold mineralisation zones than previously understood. The latest assays from drill holes CBADD011 to CBADD013 include a standout intercept of 4.9 metres grading 5.27 g/t gold starting at just 21 metres depth, with a high-grade 1-metre section hitting 14.6 g/t Au. These results extend the strike and depth continuity of gold mineralisation and suggest that earlier reverse circulation (RC) drilling may have inadequately sampled key zones, underestimating the project’s gold potential.
The diamond core drilling approach has provided improved geological resolution, highlighting gold associated more with alteration zones than obvious sulphide minerals. This nuance underscores the importance of systematic sampling and geological interpretation in unlocking the deposit’s true scale.
Joint Venture Progress and Drilling Program
Dart Mining NL (ASX:DTM), the joint venture partner responsible for the drilling, has completed approximately 3,586 metres of diamond drilling in 2025, with assay results now received for the entire program. Despite seasonal weather delays typical in Queensland, drilling and sample processing are resuming as conditions improve, with a target of around 4,000 metres for the ongoing campaign.
The drilling has revealed zones with relatively low silver and antimony alongside gold, indicating variability in mineralisation style across the system. This contrasts with the historically mined high-grade antimony shoots, which appear more localized and structurally complex. The presence of gold-only zones may represent secondary mineralisation or fault-offset shoots, adding complexity to the geological model.
These developments build on previous high-grade intercepts reported by Dart Mining, including record assays of up to 20.2 g/t gold and 44.6% antimony from earlier holes, as detailed in the company’s February release. The current results add important context to the ongoing resource definition, supporting a larger and more continuous gold envelope at Banshee than previously recognised Great Divide and Dart Mining Hit Record Grades.
Implications for Resource and Project Development
Great Divide Mining’s CEO Justin Haines emphasised the significance of these results in enhancing confidence around the scale and continuity of gold mineralisation at Coonambula. The identification of broad, shallow gold zones is particularly encouraging given the historical focus on antimony, which may have led to under-sampling of gold-rich zones.
The joint venture is now focused on advancing geological modelling, metallurgical testing, and progressing towards a maiden JORC Mineral Resource Estimate. The evolving interpretation suggests a potentially meaningful economic role for gold alongside antimony and silver, which could influence future project economics and development strategies.
With the Banshee Prospect situated near infrastructure and historical mining activity, these results could accelerate the path to resource definition and eventual production. However, the structural complexity and variability in mineralisation styles highlight the need for continued systematic drilling and detailed geological work to refine the resource model.
Bottom Line?
The expanding shallow gold zones at Banshee demand close attention as they may reshape the project’s economic profile, but structural complexity and metallurgical factors remain critical variables.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the variability in antimony and silver grades across gold zones affect processing strategies?
- To what extent can ongoing drilling clarify the true width and continuity of these broad gold zones?
- What metallurgical test results will reveal about recoveries and the economic viability of the mixed gold-antimony system?