Dreadnought Confirms High-Grade Tungsten at Mangaroon Projects with Drilling Planned

High-Grade Tungsten Emerges at Mangaroon

Dreadnought Resources (ASX:DRE) has revealed compelling evidence of high-grade tungsten mineralisation at its Mangaroon and Mangaroon South projects in Western Australia's Gascoyne region. Rock chip sampling at the Nina target within Mangaroon has returned grades as high as 12.7% WO3, substantially above global tungsten resource averages of 0.2% to 0.5% WO3. This positions Mangaroon as a potentially significant tungsten discovery, complementing Dreadnought's ongoing gold exploration efforts.

The Nina target hosts multiple quartz-scheelite veins extending approximately 800 metres along strike and 100 metres wide. Recent sampling by Dreadnought confirmed tungsten grades ranging from 1.4% to 6.5% WO3, validating historical results from Catalyst Metals between 2005 and 2011 that included assays up to 12.7% WO3. Despite these encouraging grades, prior exploration was halted due to market conditions, leaving the target largely untested by drilling until now.

Mangaroon South Shows Untapped Tungsten Potential

At Mangaroon South, Dreadnought has begun systematic sampling of over a dozen scheelite occurrences first mapped but never assayed by German explorer Urangesellschaft in 1982. Initial rock chip results from the Mulka Well prospect indicate tungsten grades between 1.0% and 1.9% WO3. These findings suggest Mangaroon South could host multiple tungsten zones awaiting detailed evaluation.

Stream sediment sampling recently completed at Mangaroon South is expected to refine target generation, with further mapping and sampling scheduled from September 2026. This program aims to rapidly advance tungsten targets alongside ongoing gold exploration, leveraging Dreadnought’s multi-element datasets to identify additional critical mineral opportunities.

Strategic Timing Amid Rising Tungsten Demand

Tungsten’s critical status is underpinned by its unique physical properties, highest melting point and tensile strength among metals, making it indispensable for cutting tools, steel alloys, electronics, and defence applications. The metal’s supply chain is heavily concentrated, with China controlling over half of global reserves and production, while Australia ranks second in reserves.

Prices for tungsten have surged through 2025 and 2026, driven by tightening Chinese export quotas and increasing industrial and defence demand. Dreadnought’s Managing Director Dean Tuck highlighted the advantage of integrating tungsten targets into their portfolio, noting the relatively low-cost nature of surface sampling and mapping to define drill-ready targets. The company plans to commence reverse circulation drilling at Nina by the end of 2026 or early 2027.

Broader Exploration and Resource Context

While tungsten exploration takes centre stage, Dreadnought continues to advance its gold projects, including the Star of Mangaroon mine with a 27,000 oz resource at 11.1 g/t Au and the Metzke’s Find deposit which recently saw a 94% resource increase to nearly 25,000 oz at 5.2 g/t Au. The company is also progressing air core drilling at Illaara and consolidating rare earth and critical metal prospects at Gifford Creek, which hosts a 30 Mt rare earth resource.

These parallel efforts reflect Dreadnought’s strategy of diversifying its critical minerals portfolio across tungsten, gold, rare earths, and base metals. The Mangaroon tungsten results add a new dimension to this approach, potentially enhancing the company’s value proposition in a market increasingly focused on supply security for critical metals.

Upcoming catalysts include further target definition results at Mangaroon gold and Mangaroon South tungsten, along with infill drilling outcomes at Illaara. Investors will be watching closely for the maiden drilling results at Nina, which will be pivotal in assessing the scale and continuity of tungsten mineralisation.