QMines Limited wraps up its extensive Mount Mackenzie drilling campaign, confirming deeper and structurally complex high-grade gold zones and advancing resource estimation at North Knoll Core.
- Final assays confirm and extend North Knoll gold system
- Deeper drilling at North Knoll West reveals mineralisation below prior shallow zones
- Vein 355 high-grade shoot remains narrow and structurally controlled
- Comprehensive geological review supports high-sulphidation epithermal model
- Mineral Resource estimation underway with further drilling planned
Mount Mackenzie Drilling Campaign Completes with Strong Results
QMines Limited (ASX:QML) has delivered the final assay results from its 2025-2026 Mount Mackenzie drilling program, comprising 73 holes and nearly 9,800 meters of reverse circulation and diamond drilling. The campaign has not only confirmed but extended the North Knoll gold mineralised system and refined the understanding of the high-grade Vein 355 shoot, underpinning the company’s evolving exploration narrative in Central Queensland.
North Knoll remains the principal gold target, with mineralisation now delineated over approximately 350 meters of strike and open at depth. Notably, deeper diamond drilling at North Knoll West has pierced mineralisation zones well below previous shallow RC drill envelopes, delivering intercepts such as 24 meters at 1.19 g/t gold and 13.3 g/t silver from 71 meters, including higher-grade sub-intervals. These results provide critical evidence that the system extends vertically and structurally beyond earlier drilling.
Vein 355 High-Grade Shoot Confirmed as Structurally Focused
While the Vein 355 target had previously dazzled with a bonanza intercept of 16 meters at 19.35 g/t gold, the recent infill and step-out drilling suggest this high-grade zone is spatially restricted. The mineralisation appears to be controlled by a narrow, steeply dipping structural shoot rather than a broad, continuous zone. Further oriented diamond drilling is planned to clarify the geometry and test for down-dip extensions, a critical step given the shoot’s potential to add significant value if continuity can be demonstrated.
Structural and Geological Controls Illuminate Gold Distribution
QMines’ integrated geological, geochemical, and statistical review of the full assay dataset, encompassing approximately 8,700 samples, has sharpened the understanding of gold grade controls at Mount Mackenzie. The analysis identifies alteration as the primary control, with advanced argillic zones showing a markedly higher probability of elevated gold grades compared to propylitic alteration. Structural preparation of the host rock also plays a pivotal role, concentrating gold in moderately broken ground, while depth influences grade distribution, with a shallow enriched shell and discrete deeper shoots.
The pathfinder geochemistry signature, featuring silver, lead, antimony, tellurium, copper, and arsenic enrichment alongside zinc depletion, aligns with a high-sulphidation epithermal system model. This coherent geochemical footprint supports ongoing targeting and resource development efforts.
Advancing Mineral Resource Estimation and Future Drilling
With the complete assay set in hand, QMines has commenced Mineral Resource estimation focused initially on the North Knoll Core, where drill spacing and geological continuity are most advanced. The company is also preparing for deeper diamond drilling at North Knoll West to explore the transition into the interpreted alteration root zone and assess copper-gold porphyry potential at depth.
At Vein 355, planned oriented diamond drilling aims to resolve the structural controls on the high-grade shoot and test down-dip extensions below the known intercepts. Meanwhile, Southern Extension drilling results continue to confirm structurally controlled mineralisation bridging North Knoll and Vein 355, supporting the broader mineralised corridor concept.
QMines is also finalising plans for a significant drilling campaign at its Woods Shaft gold and copper deposit within the Mt Chalmers project, signaling a multi-front approach to resource growth.
Strategic Implications for QMines’ Queensland Portfolio
The Mount Mackenzie results reinforce QMines’ position as a growing player in Queensland’s gold and copper scene, complementing its Mt Chalmers and Develin Creek projects, which collectively hold reserves of 9.6 million tonnes and resources approaching 20 million tonnes. The demonstrated vertical and lateral continuity of mineralisation at Mount Mackenzie, coupled with the high-grade intercepts, provide a robust foundation for resource upgrades and future development planning.
Bottom Line?
QMines’ comprehensive drilling and analytical work at Mount Mackenzie sets a solid technical platform for resource growth, but further drilling will be key to unlocking deeper and structurally complex mineralisation.
Questions in the middle?
- Will deeper drilling at North Knoll West reveal a significant copper-gold porphyry system?
- Can the structurally controlled Vein 355 shoot be extended down dip to materially increase high-grade resources?
- How will the upcoming Woods Shaft drilling campaign impact QMines’ near-term development pipeline?