Great Western Exploration has wrapped up a 2,200m air core drilling program at its Diorama copper-gold target in WA, with assay results expected by late July or early August 2026. The company plans follow-up reverse circulation drilling at six nearby Juggernaut targets next month, followed by drilling at Baroo.
- Maiden 60-hole air core drilling completed at Diorama
- Assay results due late July or early August 2026
- Juggernaut RC drilling to start next month
- Baroo drilling to follow Juggernaut program
- Strong cash position of $4.3 million
Diorama Drilling Completes, Assays Pending
Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) has finished its maiden air core drilling campaign at the Diorama Copper-Gold Target, a standout prospect within the Yerrida North Project in Western Australia. The program comprised 60 holes totaling 2,200 metres, designed to test a sizeable surface lag copper anomaly beneath shallow cover. Diorama is positioned roughly 70km from Sandfire Resources’ DeGrussa deposit and is interpreted as a DeGrussa-style volcanogenic massive sulphide (VHMS) target.
Field mapping had identified gossanous quartz outcrops extending over 100 metres, suggesting potential copper mineralisation concealed beneath shallow cover. Samples from the drilling have been dispatched for assay, with results expected in late July or early August 2026. These results will be pivotal in guiding the next phase of drilling at Diorama.
Upcoming Juggernaut and Baroo Drilling Campaigns
Following Diorama, Great Western plans to commence reverse circulation (RC) drilling next month at six copper-gold targets clustered within the nearby Juggernaut Project. These targets, Seymour, Falconer, Howard, Palmer, Smith, and Archer, are defined by distinct stratigraphic, structural, and geochemical signatures, all encompassed within a large, zoned copper-lead-zinc anomaly consistent with DeGrussa-style VHMS mineralisation.
Immediately after Juggernaut, drilling will progress to the Baroo Copper-Gold Target, a previously unmapped quartz vein identified through recent field mapping. Baroo has yielded elevated copper values from rock-chip samples but has not undergone prior systematic exploration.
Regional Exploration and Financial Position
Concurrent with these drilling programs, Great Western will advance exploration on several other regional copper-gold targets within the Yerrida Basin, aiming to elevate them to drill-ready status. This multi-pronged approach reflects the company's commitment to unlocking the basin’s potential, which shares geological affinities with the prolific Bryah Basin hosting the DeGrussa deposit.
Great Western enters this phase from a position of financial strength, reporting a cash balance of $4.3 million as of March 2026. This liquidity underpins its ambitious exploration agenda across multiple targets.
Oval Target Drilling Concludes Without Significant Results
In contrast to the Diorama and Juggernaut prospects, assay results from recent drilling at the Oval Target returned no significant mineralisation. Great Western has confirmed that no further work is planned at Oval, allowing the company to focus resources on more promising targets.
Bottom Line?
Assay results from Diorama will be a critical inflection point for Great Western, setting the tone for the upcoming Juggernaut and Baroo drilling campaigns and potentially reshaping investor expectations for the Yerrida North Project.
Questions in the middle?
- Will Diorama assay results confirm the presence of DeGrussa-style VHMS mineralisation?
- How will the upcoming Juggernaut and Baroo drilling programs influence Great Western’s exploration strategy?
- What new targets within the Yerrida Basin might emerge as drill-ready from ongoing regional exploration?