Barton Gold has completed a 3,677m drilling program at its Tolmer Silver discovery, confirming high-grade silver mineralisation with assays exceeding 2,000 gram-metres and producing a concentrate grading over 100,000 g/t Ag without complex processing.
- 3,677m RC drilling confirms high-grade silver extensions
- Preliminary metallurgical test yields concentrate over 100,000 g/t silver
- Multiple shallow horizons with silver up to 17,600 g/t identified
- Soil assays indicate new silver-lead-gold targets beyond current drilling
- Further assay results and metallurgical studies pending
Drilling Validates Tolmer’s Exceptional Silver Grades
Barton Gold Holdings Limited (ASX:BGD) has wrapped up a 3,677m reverse circulation drilling campaign targeting extensions of the Tolmer Silver discovery in South Australia’s Tarcoola Gold Project. The program, comprising 33 holes, was designed to test continuity, infill high-grade zones, and explore a new geological interpretation of the mineralisation controls.
Initial results reaffirm Tolmer as one of Australia’s highest-grade modern silver finds, with previous drilling intersecting up to 6m at 4,747 g/t silver from just 46m depth. The recent campaign focused on the ‘western silver zone’ where assays from prior drilling exceeded 2,000 gram-metres silver, confirming substantial high-grade mineralisation footprints.
Dual Silver Horizons and High-Grade Intercepts
Drilling has delineated two distinct silver-enriched horizons: an upper, broad, shallow zone largely independent of gold, and a lower horizon at the oxide-fresh rock boundary hosting both silver and gold. Notably, peak grades in the western silver zone include up to 17,600 g/t silver and 51.2 g/t gold within less than 50 metres from surface, highlighting the exceptional tenor of mineralisation.
Soil sampling has further expanded the potential footprint, with gold, silver, and lead assays suggesting mineralised contours extending approximately 200m west and 100m east of current drilling. These assays also hint at previously unrecognised Au-Ag-Pb targets, potentially controlled by northwest-southeast trending geological features.
Preliminary Metallurgical Success with High-Grade Concentrate
In a promising development for processing economics, preliminary metallurgical testing of mineralisation from the 2025 discovery hole produced a gravity concentrate grading over 100,000 g/t silver (roughly 10% silver) without the need for grinding, roasting, or chemical reagents. This simple concentration method could pave the way for low-cost, high-margin operations if the results prove consistent across the deposit.
Next Steps in Assays and Metallurgical Studies
Samples from the recent drilling are now en route to independent laboratories for assay testing. Concurrently, Barton is advancing petrological studies to understand the mineralisation’s origins and formation, with comprehensive metallurgical testwork planned to identify optimal processing routes for silver and gold recovery.
Managing Director Alexander Scanlon emphasised the strategic importance of Tolmer within Barton’s portfolio, noting ongoing efforts to upgrade the nearby Tunkillia silver resources and convert them to ore reserves. The company views these silver assets as potentially significant contributors to its regional development strategy, either complementing or standing apart from its gold projects.
Bottom Line?
Tolmer’s high-grade silver footprint and simple concentrate production hint at a valuable asset, but assay results and full metallurgical studies will be critical to confirm its economic potential.
Questions in the middle?
- Will assay results from the recent drilling confirm consistent high-grade mineralisation across Tolmer?
- Can the simple gravity concentration method scale effectively for commercial production?
- How will Tolmer’s silver resources integrate with Barton’s broader regional strategy alongside gold projects?