New Murchison Gold (ASX:NMG) has uncovered its deepest and highest-grade gold intercept to date below the Crown Prince open pit, underscoring significant underground mining potential at its flagship Garden Gully project.
- 3.2m at 48.9g/t Au including 0.35m at 345.5g/t Au from 330m depth
- High-grade mineralisation extends 190m below current pit base
- 18 RC holes and 3 diamond tails tested underground potential
- Multiple other strong gold intercepts confirm steep plunging shoots
- Underground mining plans and ore reserve update underway
Record Deep Gold Intercept Extends Crown Prince Potential
New Murchison Gold Limited (ASX:NMG) has delivered a standout drill result deep below its operating Crown Prince open pit, reporting a spectacular 3.2 metres at 48.9 grams per tonne gold from 330 metres downhole. This includes an ultra-high-grade 0.35 metre section assaying 345.5 g/t Au, marking the deepest high-grade intercept recorded at Crown Prince to date.
This intercept lies approximately 190 metres vertically beneath the designed base of the current open pit and outside the existing resource envelope, highlighting a compelling underground extension to the main ore body (MOB). Visible gold was observed in quartz-carbonate veins within this zone, supported by a broad alteration halo featuring silica-sericite-fuchsite-carbonate and arsenopyrite minerals.
Extensive Drilling Confirms Steep Plunging Shoots
The recent drilling campaign comprised eighteen reverse circulation (RC) holes and three diamond tails targeting the MOB’s underground potential on the western flank of the pit. Alongside the record intercept, other notable results included 13 metres at 13.3 g/t Au from 164m (including 2m at 72.0 g/t), and 8 metres at 12.3 g/t Au from 216m (including 3m at 27.4 g/t), reinforcing the presence of multiple high-grade shoots.
New Murchison CEO Alex Passmore commented that these results underpin the company’s confidence in extending mineralisation at depth and will feed into forthcoming underground mining plans and an ore reserve update. The company is actively developing these plans, which will be released shortly.
The geological interpretation suggests these mineralised shoots plunge steeply within the footwall of the main ore body. Further drilling is planned to deepen holes NGGRCDD1169 and 1181 to refine the structural model and incorporate additional material into the resource inventory.
Strategic Importance Within Garden Gully Gold Project
The Crown Prince mine, located 22 kilometres northwest of Meekatharra in Western Australia, remains New Murchison’s flagship asset within its extensive 677 km2 Garden Gully tenure package. The project has seen steady progress with the first blast in June 2025 and production commencing in September 2025.
This latest drilling success follows a recent campaign where New Murchison extended high-grade mineralisation at the Crown Prince East Pit, further enhancing the project’s resource base and development prospects. The company’s ability to consistently deliver high-grade intercepts across multiple zones supports its strategy to expand underground operations beyond the current open pit mining framework New Murchison Gold Extends High-Grade Gold Mineralisation at Crown Prince East Pit.
While these results provide a strong technical foundation, the economic viability and mining parameters of the underground extensions will become clearer with the upcoming ore reserve update and additional drilling. The company’s focus on integrating these deeper zones into its mining plans will be a key watchpoint for investors.
Bottom Line?
New Murchison’s record deep intercept at Crown Prince signals promising underground potential, but further drilling and reserve confirmation will be crucial to translate this into production growth.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the upcoming ore reserve update quantify the economic impact of these deep intercepts?
- What is the timeline and capital requirement for developing the underground mining operations at Crown Prince?
- Could further drilling reveal additional high-grade shoots beyond the current drilling footprint?