Barton Gold Accelerates Drilling at Tolmer Silver After Record-High Assays

Expedited Drilling Targets High-Grade Silver Extensions

Barton Gold Holdings (ASX:BGD) has kicked off a rapid follow-up drilling campaign at its Tolmer Silver prospect within the Tarcoola Gold Project in South Australia. The ~4,000m reverse circulation (RC) program aims to test extensions of one of the nation’s most spectacular silver discoveries, identified in 2025 with a standout intercept of 6m grading 4,747 g/t silver alongside gold mineralisation. The company has engaged Strike Drilling to execute the program, which will infill and explore new orientations of the high-grade zone based on updated geological interpretations.

This accelerated drilling push follows a recent preliminary gravity concentration test that yielded a concentrate grading over 100,000 g/t silver (around 10% silver content) without any complex processing, a result that could have significant implications for low-cost, high-margin extraction if replicated across the deposit. Barton’s managing director Alexander Scanlon highlighted the importance of the silver portfolio to the company’s regional strategy, noting the simultaneous advancement of the Tunkillia gold and silver resources.

Dual Silver Horizons and Promising Soil Assays

The Tolmer prospect hosts two distinct silver-enriched horizons: a broad, shallow upper horizon largely independent of gold, and a deeper boundary zone between oxide and fresh rock with exceptional silver and gold grades, including assays up to 17,600 g/t silver and 51.2 g/t gold. Drilling south of the main section has confirmed that the lower horizon remains open to the east and south, prompting targeted soil sampling and diamond drilling to refine exploration models.

Recent soil assays have outlined potential extensions of the western silver zone by approximately 200m west and 100m east, along with previously unrecognised gold-silver-lead targets. These findings suggest structural controls trending northwest-southeast may influence mineralisation distribution, providing fresh targets beyond the current drilling footprint.

Metallurgical Insights and Next Steps

Barton’s metallurgical investigations are progressing alongside drilling, with petrology and paragenesis studies underway to understand the origins and characteristics of the Tolmer mineralisation. The initial gravity concentration test, producing an exceptionally high-grade silver concentrate without grinding or chemical reagents, offers a tantalising glimpse of potentially simple processing pathways, though further testwork is required to confirm consistency and economic viability.

The company plans to integrate results from the ongoing drilling and metallurgical programs to refine resource models and processing strategies. This approach aligns with Barton’s broader efforts to upgrade its regional gold and silver assets, complementing recent high-grade gold drilling at its Challenger and Tunkillia projects, which have bolstered the company’s development pipeline and cash position. The Tolmer silver discovery thus stands as a key pillar in Barton’s expanding portfolio, with upcoming assay results and metallurgical data set to shape its near-term exploration narrative.

These developments build on Barton’s recent preliminary gravity concentrate results and follow strong regional drilling progress including high-grade drilling breakthroughs that have reinforced confidence in the company’s multi-commodity strategy.