Rapid Critical Metals Starts Drilling and Files New Licence for Webbs Expansion

Drilling Commences at Webbs Silver Project

Rapid Critical Metals (ASX:RCM) has mobilised its first drill rig to the Webbs Silver Project in New South Wales, marking a significant step in testing the southern extension of the known ore body alongside a recently discovered parallel lode. The drilling program is designed to expand the mineralised footprint by targeting west-dipping structures along the established north–south trend, deliberately avoiding previously drilled zones. This initial activity sets the stage for follow-up drilling aimed at refining the resource across southern, central, and northern sectors of Webbs.

The company’s Managing Director Byron Miles emphasised the strategic nature of this program, highlighting Rapid’s dual focus on resource growth and new discovery potential. This drilling phase follows the company’s recent success in securing initial approvals and aligns with its broader exploration agenda. Earlier in May, Rapid obtained its first drilling approval at Webbs, which paved the way for this campaign and the deployment of a second rig pending further permits, underscoring the momentum behind the project’s development first drilling approval.

Expansion Through New Licence Application

Complementing the active drilling, Rapid has lodged a new exploration licence application (ELA7053) to secure highly prospective ground immediately south of its existing tenements EL8933 and EL9454. This area lies along the same structurally controlled mineralised corridor that hosts the Webbs Consol and Tangoa prospects, positioning Rapid to consolidate its district-scale footprint in a region renowned for intrusion-related silver, lead, and zinc mineralisation.

ELA7053 covers ground adjacent to historically significant polymetallic silver mines and underexplored targets such as Tangoa South and the Isolation Prospect. Historical drilling data from Tangoa South includes intercepts like 3.8 metres at 75 g/t silver, 10.3% lead, and 7.4% zinc, highlighting the potential for substantial mineralisation. The Isolation Prospect, identified by Freeport of Australia in the 1980s, also shows promising geophysical and geochemical anomalies with encouraging drill intercepts, though both areas remain ripe for modern exploration techniques.

Strategic Control of the Mole Granite Margin

Rapid’s tenure advantage extends to controlling the entire western periphery of the Mole Granite, a highly evolved and mineral-rich granite complex considered a key driver of regional intrusion-related mineral systems. The margins of such granites are often the most prospective zones for structurally controlled mineralisation, making Rapid’s holdings around Webbs and neighbouring tin assets like Taronga particularly valuable.

The company has identified several interpreted structural features on trend with historical silver occurrences that may represent feeder systems for mineralisation sourced from the Mole Granite. This geological setting underpins Rapid’s confidence in both expanding known resources and unlocking new targets within its district-scale portfolio.

Upcoming Drilling and Exploration Plans

Pending regulatory approvals, Rapid plans a four-hole reverse circulation drilling program totalling 560 metres at the Tangoa South Prospect. This near-term drilling will test priority targets within the southern trend, complementing the ongoing work at Webbs. The company is also conducting a comprehensive review of historical exploration data and preparing for surface mapping, sampling, geophysics, and potentially Lidar surveys to refine and prioritise targets.

Rapid’s fully funded status supports a catalyst-rich program encompassing resource upgrades, step-out drilling, and new target testing across its New South Wales silver assets. This approach reflects a systematic build-out of a district-scale silver discovery pipeline, with the company well positioned to deliver news flow and shareholder value in the coming months.

Rapid’s recent strategic pivot and leadership reshuffle in 2025, including the appointment of Chairman John Poynton AO and Managing Director Byron Miles, have underpinned a focused exploration drive in NSW and Canada. The company’s expanding footprint and active drilling programs are part of this broader growth strategy new leadership and dual asset focus.