Barton Gold Reports Over 100,000 g/t Silver Concentrate at Tolmer, Accelerates Drilling

Exceptional Silver Concentrate from Simple Gravity Process

Barton Gold Holdings Limited (ASX:BGD) has revealed a striking preliminary result from its Tolmer Silver prospect at the Tarcoola Gold Project in South Australia: a gravity concentrate grading over 100,000 grams per tonne (g/t) silver, equivalent to roughly 10% silver content. This was achieved without grinding, roasting, or chemical reagents, using a straightforward panning and gravity separation process. Such a high-grade concentrate from a simple method hints at the possibility of low-cost, high-margin silver extraction if these results hold across the deposit.

While the reported figure stems from a subsample and is semi-quantitative, it underscores the unique nature of the Tolmer mineralisation. Barton has engaged a leading geological consultant to conduct detailed petrological and paragenetic studies using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to better understand the silver's occurrence and inform full metallurgical testwork.

Follow-Up Drilling to Expand and Infill High-Grade Zones

In response to these encouraging metallurgical signals, Barton has fast-tracked a ~4,000 metre reverse circulation (RC) drilling program slated to commence mid-May 2026. The drilling aims to infill existing high-grade intersections and test for extensions along strike, guided by soil assays that indicate mineralised zones extending beyond current drilling. This program is designed to sharpen the geological model and assess the continuity of silver mineralisation in the ‘western silver zone’ of Tolmer, where previous drilling returned standout results such as 6m at 4,747 g/t silver and 4m at 13.2 g/t gold.

The accelerated drilling dovetails with Barton’s broader regional strategy, which balances advancing the Tolmer silver discovery alongside ongoing gold resource upgrades at nearby projects. Recent company updates have highlighted strong drilling progress at Tunkillia and Challenger, including high-grade gold assays and robust cash reserves, positioning Barton well to fund this intensified exploration push. The current Tolmer silver work complements these initiatives, potentially adding a significant new silver dimension to Barton’s portfolio strong drilling progress at Tunkillia and high-grade gold assays at Challenger.

Geological Complexity and Dual Silver Horizons

Drilling and soil geochemistry have delineated two distinct silver-enriched horizons at Tolmer. The upper horizon is a broad, shallow zone of silver mineralisation largely independent of gold, open to the west. Below it lies a lower horizon at the oxide-fresh rock boundary, hosting both silver and gold in broad intervals, with peak grades reaching 17,600 g/t silver and 51.2 g/t gold. These dual horizons suggest a complex mineralising system with potential for significant tonnage and grade.

Soil assays further reveal extensions of the western silver zone and new Au-Ag-Pb targets, indicating the mineralisation may be controlled by northwest-southeast trending structures. Barton’s upcoming drilling will test these targets and help refine the geological controls.

Strategic Implications for Barton Gold’s Portfolio

Managing Director Alexander Scanlon emphasised the distinctiveness of Tolmer’s silver enrichment compared to the rest of the Tarcoola Goldfield, where gold is dominant. The prospect of concentrating silver through simple gravity methods, if confirmed by comprehensive metallurgical testwork, could materially enhance project economics by reducing processing complexity and costs.

With the Tolmer silver discovery adding a new high-grade silver asset to Barton’s existing JORC Mineral Resources of 2.2 million ounces gold and 3.1 million ounces silver, the company is positioning itself as a diversified precious metals developer in the Gawler Craton. The upcoming drilling and metallurgical programs will be critical to defining the scale and recoverability of this exceptional silver mineralisation.