Horizon Gold has reported multiple high-grade gold intercepts from recent RC drilling at its Gum Creek Project, underpinning resource growth and supporting a mid-2026 feasibility study completion.
- High-grade gold intercepts up to 17.6g/t Au at Swift and Eagle
- Resource expansions underway for Eagle, Goldfinch, and Shrike South
- Maiden Mineral Resource Estimates planned for Goldfinch and Shrike South
- Feasibility Study on track for mid-2026 with potential economic uplift
- Total Gum Creek resource stands at 2.3 million ounces at 1.89g/t Au
High-Grade Drilling Extends Mineralisation at Gum Creek
Horizon Gold Limited (ASX:HRN) has delivered a fresh wave of high-grade gold intercepts from reverse circulation (RC) drilling across multiple prospects at its 100% owned Gum Creek Gold Project in Western Australia. The standout results come from Swift, Eagle, Goldfinch, and Shrike South, where assays revealed grades soaring up to 17.6 grams per tonne (g/t) over several meters, reinforcing the project's potential to expand its resource base significantly.
At the Swift Prospect, located just 1.2 kilometers east of the historic Gidgee mill, drilling outside the current resource model returned impressive intercepts including 6 meters at 5.13 g/t Au, highlighted by a 2-meter segment grading 14.7 g/t Au. Further down dip, a 3-meter intercept at 6.13 g/t Au included a remarkable 1-meter hit of 17.6 g/t Au. These results affirm the interpreted flat-lying, stacked lode model and point to promising extensions both along strike and at depth, with diamond drilling planned to refine structural controls on these high-grade shoots.
Eagle Prospect Shows 300m Strike Extension
Meanwhile, at Eagle, drilling has extended known mineralisation approximately 300 meters south of the existing resource, which currently stands at 2.02 million tonnes at 1.28 g/t Au for 83,400 ounces. Significant intercepts include 3 meters at 6.62 g/t Au, featuring a 1-meter section at 16.35 g/t Au, and 13 meters at 1.50 g/t Au. The mineralisation here is hosted within steeply dipping quartz-carbonate-pyrite veins, with supergene enrichment near surface. With wireframing underway, an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) is in progress, potentially adding meaningful ounces outside the current feasibility study scope.
New Prospects Goldfinch and Shrike South Poised for Maiden Resources
Goldfinch, situated about 2 kilometers south of the Gidgee mill, has yielded high-grade intercepts including 4 meters at 6.19 g/t Au to end of hole and 3 meters at 5.11 g/t Au. These results will feed into a maiden MRE, marking a significant milestone for this previously unmodelled prospect. Similarly, Shrike South, which has a historical open pit mined over a 280-meter strike, returned multiple intercepts such as 11 meters at 1.18 g/t Au and 7 meters at 1.43 g/t Au. This prospect also awaits its maiden MRE, with wireframing and metallurgical test work underway to support resource definition.
Feasibility Study Progresses on Schedule
Managing Director Scott Williamson emphasised the strategic importance of these drilling results, noting they continue to unlock the company’s free-milling open pit mining strategy. The additions at Eagle, Shrike South, and Goldfinch sit outside the current feasibility study, which remains on track for mid-2026 completion. Williamson highlighted that these resource expansions are expected to deliver a meaningful uplift in project economics, bolstered by sustained strength in the gold price.
The Gum Creek Gold Project currently holds a total Mineral Resource Estimate of 37.97 million tonnes at 1.89 g/t Au, equating to approximately 2.3 million ounces of gold, with 71% classified as Indicated. The project’s proximity to the proposed 2.4 million tonnes per annum processing plant and the ongoing drilling campaign underpin Horizon’s confidence in advancing Gum Creek towards commercial production.
Exploration and Metallurgical Work Continues
Beyond drilling, metallurgical test work has been completed on all prospects except Shrike South, where sampling and gravity/cyanide leach tests are planned in the coming months. Further drilling will focus on infill and extension targets, particularly to better define the underground potential and test structural continuity at prospects like Thornbill West and Vigilant.
Bottom Line?
Horizon Gold’s latest drilling results at Gum Creek reinforce resource growth potential and set the stage for a more robust feasibility study, but upcoming maiden resource estimates and metallurgical tests will be critical to validate the project's economic upside.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the upcoming maiden MREs for Goldfinch and Shrike South impact the overall project valuation?
- What insights will the planned diamond drilling at Swift provide on the controls of high-grade gold shoots?
- How might metallurgical test results from Shrike South influence processing strategies and project economics?