E79 Gold Signs Heritage Deal, Prepares 10,000m Cue Drilling Program
E79 Gold Mines has formalised a Heritage Protection Agreement with the Yugunga-Nya Traditional Owners, clearing a critical hurdle for its first drilling campaign at Cue Gold Project in Western Australia since the 1990s. The company plans a 10,000m air-core and reverse circulation drilling program targeting promising gold structures identified via recent geophysical surveys.
- Heritage Protection Agreement signed with Yugunga-Nya Traditional Owners
- Initial 10,000m air-core and RC drilling planned at Cue Gold Project
- Targets include cross-cutting structures in Fingalls Dolerite and Meekatharra Formation
- Advanced and early-stage exploration targets identified from reprocessed geophysical data
- Tenement applications progress enabled by heritage agreement
Heritage Agreement Unlocks Drilling at Cue
E79 Gold Mines (ASX:E79) has taken a significant step forward by executing a Heritage Protection Agreement with the Yugunga-Nya Traditional Owners, establishing a formal framework for cultural heritage management at its Cue Gold Project in Western Australia’s Murchison District. This agreement not only ensures responsible engagement with Traditional Owners but also clears the way for the company’s first modern drilling campaign at Cue since the mid-1990s.
CEO Ned Summerhayes described the agreement as a "significant milestone," acknowledging the constructive collaboration with the Yugunga-Nya people. The framework balances cultural heritage protection with exploration advancement, including facilitating key tenement applications over the project area.
Drilling Program Targets High-Grade Gold Structures
With heritage approvals in hand, E79 has submitted a Heritage Survey request to support an initial 10,000-metre drilling campaign comprising air-core and reverse circulation (RC) methods. The program will focus on cross-cutting structures within the Fingalls Dolerite and Meekatharra Formation greenstones, geological units known for hosting high-grade gold deposits in the region.
This drilling initiative is informed by a recently completed high-resolution gravity survey, which identified prospective host rocks and structural targets. Additional exploration areas have been generated through reprocessing of magnetic and gravity datasets, broadening the scope for discovery across the 65-square-kilometre project area.
Cue Project Positioned Near Historic Gold Mines
The Cue Gold Project lies immediately south of the historic Day Dawn goldfield and Westgold’s Great Fingall Gold Mine, which has produced 1.2 million ounces at an average grade of 19.2 grams per tonne. The geological setting is highly favourable for quartz reef–hosted gold deposits similar to those at Great Fingall, Golden Crown, and Break of Day.
Historical drilling at key prospects within Cue, such as Ada, Chloe, and Transformer, has returned encouraging gold intercepts, including intervals exceeding 6 grams per tonne over several metres. These results underpin the potential of E79’s targeted drilling to delineate new high-grade zones.
Preparations and Tenement Progress
Preparatory work for the drilling program is well advanced, with statutory approvals secured and initial drill holes pegged. Discussions with landowners and earthworks contractors are ongoing to support the campaign’s execution. The Heritage Agreement also facilitates the granting of tenement applications over key prospects like Ada and Chloe, which were previously pending.
Exploration targeting continues to evolve as E79 reprocesses historical magnetic data alongside its recent gravity survey results, identifying multiple new areas for immediate follow-up. This systematic approach aims to maximise the potential for meaningful gold discoveries across the project.
Bottom Line?
E79 Gold’s heritage accord and drill readiness mark a pivotal moment for Cue, but the market will await assay results to gauge the project’s true potential.
Questions in the middle?
- How will assay results from the initial 10,000m drilling influence E79 Gold’s valuation and exploration strategy?
- What is the timeline for tenement grants following the Heritage Agreement, and how might this affect project scale?
- Could the reprocessed geophysical data reveal new, unexpected targets beyond the current drilling focus?
