Dart Mining has unveiled robust assay results from diamond drilling at the Banshee prospect, confirming high-grade gold, silver, and antimony mineralisation over a 500m strike. The findings reinforce the potential for resource growth and support plans to increase Dart's stake in the Coonambula project.
- High-grade gold, silver, antimony assays from CBADD014–CBADD022
- Mineralisation extends over 500m strike, remains open along strike and at depth
- Key intercepts include 5.8m @ 1.73 g/t Au, 11.57 g/t Ag, 4.76% Sb
- Drilling highlights a silver-antimony rich core within broader gold zones
- Plans underway for metallurgical testing and JORC resource estimation
Robust Multi-Metal Assays Confirm Banshee’s Potential
Dart Mining NL (ASX:DTM) has released assay results from nine recent diamond drill holes at its Banshee prospect within the Coonambula antimony-gold project in Central Queensland. The assays reveal significant high-grade gold, silver, and antimony mineralisation extending over a 500-metre strike length, underscoring the prospect’s growing allure.
Noteworthy intercepts include 5.8 metres grading 1.73 g/t gold, 11.57 g/t silver, and 4.76% antimony from 53.7 metres in hole CBADD019. Within this interval, narrower zones boast even richer grades, such as 0.85 metres at 2.18 g/t gold, 71.12 g/t silver, and a remarkable 26.66% antimony. These results confirm a silver-antimony rich core nested within broader gold mineralisation, a key geological insight that could shape future resource modelling.
Expanding Mineralised Footprint with Structural Complexity
The drilling has tested the Banshee lode’s strike extent for over 500 metres, with mineralisation remaining open both along strike and at depth. The company’s geological team has identified faulting that may offset mineralised zones, adding complexity but also potential for further high-grade shoots beyond current drilling. Holes CBADD017 and CBADD021 mark the western and eastern limits of the current drilling footprint, with both showing signs of an active hydrothermal system and alteration consistent with the main mineralised zone.
CBADD017 intercepted strong sericite alteration and disseminated pyrite, suggesting fluid pathways through structurally prepared zones, although gold grades here were modest. Meanwhile, CBADD021 at the eastern margin revealed a well-developed alteration envelope with pyrite, arsenopyrite, and stibnite sulphides, indicating the mineralising fluids were still active but perhaps limited by fracturing intensity. These vectors hint at the system's continuation beyond drilled areas.
Progress Towards Resource Definition and Equity Increase
Dart Mining has completed 4,100 metres of diamond drilling at Banshee, with assay results now received for drilling up to March 2026. The company is advancing core logging and sample dispatch to laboratories, aiming to accelerate metallurgical test work. Such test work will underpin the upcoming Mineral Resource Estimate (JORC compliant), a critical milestone that will support Dart’s plan to increase its equity stake in the Coonambula project to 51% under its farm-in agreement with Great Divide Mining (ASX:GDM).
Chairman James Chirnside highlighted the encouraging nature of the latest results, noting the potential for eastern and western extensions of the mineralised zone. The ongoing drilling and assay program aims to refine the understanding of mineralisation controls and expand the resource footprint.
Coonambula Project’s Regional Significance
The Coonambula project, situated about 390 km northwest of Brisbane, sits within the New England Fold Belt, a region known for intrusion-related gold systems. The Banshee prospect is one of the largest historical antimony mining complexes in Central Queensland, with past production dating back to the late 19th century. Nearby prospects like Lady Mary and Perseverance add to the regional exploration upside, with a combined potential strike length of around 5 km for antimony-gold mineralisation.
Historical data and recent surface sampling have consistently returned high-grade antimony and gold values, complementing the current drilling results. The project’s geological setting and mineralisation style bear similarities to notable deposits such as Hillgrove in New South Wales.
Bottom Line?
Dart Mining's latest assays at Banshee bolster the prospect’s multi-metal potential, but the path to a JORC resource and increased equity stake hinges on ongoing drilling and metallurgical results.
Questions in the middle?
- How will metallurgical test work impact the economic viability of the antimony-gold mineralisation?
- What is the potential scale and grade continuity beyond the current 500m strike tested?
- How soon can Dart Mining formalise a JORC resource and increase its stake in the project?