Great Western Exploration to Launch Diorama Drilling in June 2026

Diorama Drilling to Test DeGrussa-Style Copper-Gold Target

Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) is gearing up to start a 3,000-metre air core drilling program at its Diorama copper-gold target within the Yerrida North Project in Western Australia. Scheduled to commence in early June 2026, this campaign aims to probe beneath shallow cover that may be concealing copper mineralisation, building on a compelling geological case that Diorama is a Volcanic Hosted Massive Sulphide (VHMS) system similar to the nearby DeGrussa deposit.

The Diorama target was initially identified through a large lag copper anomaly and supported by field mapping that revealed extensive gossanous quartz outcrops, potentially weathered sulphides indicative of copper-gold mineralisation below surface. This combination of geochemical and geological evidence has positioned Diorama as a high-priority drilling target, despite no previous drilling having been conducted there.

Follow-Up Drilling at Juggernaut and Baroo Targets

Following the Diorama air core program, Great Western plans to advance to reverse circulation (RC) drilling at six nearby copper-gold targets clustered at Juggernaut, starting in July 2026. These targets, Seymour, Falconer, Howard, Palmer, Smith, and Archer, are defined by a large, zoned copper-lead-zinc anomaly interpreted as part of a DeGrussa-style VHMS system. Drilling will subsequently move to the Baroo target, a newly identified quartz vein with elevated copper rock-chip results discovered during recent fieldwork.

These sequential drilling campaigns are part of a broader nine-target program across the Yerrida Basin, designed to systematically test the region’s promising copper-gold potential. The company is simultaneously progressing several other regional prospects toward drill-ready status, reflecting an aggressive exploration approach backed by a strong cash balance of $4.3 million as of March 2026.

Strategic Positioning Near DeGrussa Deposit

Yerrida North lies approximately 70 kilometres from Sandfire Resources’ (ASX:SFR) DeGrussa Copper-Gold Deposit, within the Yerrida Basin adjacent to the Bryah Basin, home to several significant VHMS deposits. Great Western’s Diorama and Juggernaut targets share key geological and geochemical characteristics with these world-class deposits, underpinning the company’s focused exploration strategy.

This drilling campaign follows the company’s recent $3.75 million placement that bolstered its capacity to execute an ambitious multi-target program. It also builds on the earlier commencement of diamond drilling at the Oval target, another high-priority VHMS prospect within the Yerrida Basin, which is part of the same nine-project campaign aiming to unlock the region’s copper-gold potential diamond drilling at Oval.

Exploration Outlook and Market Implications

While no drilling results have yet been reported, the Diorama program represents a critical test of Great Western’s geological models and its ability to delineate significant copper-gold mineralisation in a relatively underexplored part of Western Australia. The presence of gossanous quartz and the large copper anomaly provide encouraging signs, but the economic viability and scale of any discovery remain uncertain until assays return.

Investors will be watching closely as the company advances through its staged drilling programs, with each phase potentially adding clarity to the Yerrida Basin’s resource potential. The sequential approach, from air core to RC drilling, reflects a methodical testing of targets with escalating confidence, a strategy that balances risk and reward in early-stage exploration.