Adelong Gold’s latest drilling at Lauriston validates historic gold grades at Comet and reveals an emerging antimony system at Trojan, signalling potential for a significant gold-antimony corridor in Victoria.
- High-grade gold confirmed at Comet with assays up to 27.1 g/t Au
- First diamond drill assays at Trojan reveal significant antimony-gold mineralisation
- Drilling intersects Comet Shear with arsenic halos indicative of epizonal systems
- Photon assays underway to detect coarse gold typical of Fosterville-style deposits
- Follow-up drilling planned to test continuity along 4.5km Comet-Trojan corridor
High-Grade Gold Validated at Comet
Adelong Gold Limited (ASX:ADG) has delivered compelling assay results from its ongoing diamond drilling program at the Lauriston Gold-Antimony Project in Victoria, confirming high-grade gold mineralisation within the structurally significant Comet Shear. The standout intercept comes from hole AC2502, which returned 9.8 metres at 2.76 g/t gold starting from 90.9 metres, including a blistering 0.7 metres at 27.1 g/t Au. These results substantiate the historic intercepts that initially attracted the company to the Lauriston project, reinforcing the shear zone as a major fluid conduit for gold mineralisation.
The drilling campaign has intersected the Comet Shear in all six holes completed to date, each accompanied by well-developed arsenic halos. This geochemical signature is characteristic of the upper levels of Victorian epizonal gold-antimony systems, akin to the Fosterville deposit, although Adelong cautions that such analogies are geological context only and do not guarantee similar economic outcomes. The mineralisation is hosted within an Ordovician turbidite sequence, with gold associated with arsenopyrite, pyrite, stibnite, sphalerite, and quartz veining.
Emerging Gold-Antimony System at Trojan
While Comet confirms gold grades, the nearby Trojan prospect; located about three kilometres north along the same structural trend; has yielded the first assays confirming a gold-antimony system. Initial holes at Trojan returned significant antimony values, including 1.9 metres at 0.48% antimony and 0.88 g/t gold from 103.3 metres in hole AY2608, and a narrower but high-grade 0.3 metres at 0.67% Sb and 3.80 g/t Au from 90.9 metres in AY2607. The presence of stibnite-rich quartz breccias aligns with strong antimony soil anomalies extending 1.2 kilometres north to the Countess prospect, suggesting a large mineralised system with strike potential up to 2.2 kilometres.
This discovery of antimony is strategically important for Adelong, as the metal has rising demand in battery and industrial applications. The company’s Managing Director Ian Holland highlighted the significance of these results, noting the early-stage program is steadily building understanding of a large, structurally controlled system that warrants follow-up drilling.
Program Progress and Next Steps
The first phase of the diamond drilling program is nearing completion, with six holes (1,481.6 metres) at Comet, four at Yankee, and seven at Trojan. Assays have been returned for all Comet holes and the initial three Trojan holes, with remaining results expected in the coming weeks. The drill rig is scheduled to move to the Apollo Gold and Antimony Project for winter drilling before returning to Lauriston for a follow-up campaign focused on testing down-dip and along-strike continuity, including the potential for stacked shears beneath the Comet Anticline.
Complementing conventional fire assays, all samples are being submitted for photon assay, a non-destructive technique that screens entire samples to detect coarse gold that traditional methods may miss. This approach is particularly relevant given the visible gold observed in hole AC2502 and the nuggety nature typical of Fosterville-style epizonal systems.
Adelong’s Lauriston drilling update follows earlier progress at the project, including visible gold intersections and ongoing exploration at Apollo, as reported in the company’s January announcement. These developments underscore the company’s strategic pivot towards its Victorian gold and antimony assets after exiting the Challenger Mines joint venture and resolving legacy tax disputes, as detailed in recent filings.
Bottom Line?
Adelong’s Lauriston drilling confirms high-grade gold and reveals antimony potential, setting the stage for expanded exploration along a promising 4.5km corridor.
Questions in the middle?
- Will follow-up drilling confirm the down-dip and along-strike continuity of high-grade gold mineralisation at Comet?
- How significant is the emerging antimony system at Trojan in terms of scale and economic viability?
- What insights will photon assay results provide about coarse gold distribution and grade variability?