PLC Resources is set to resume drilling at Rochefort in September, aiming to expand on promising gold signals from its maiden program. Meanwhile, a fresh structural interpretation has revealed a major regional gold corridor at Abbotts North, broadening exploration prospects.
- Follow-up RC drilling at Rochefort starts 11 September 2026
- Previous drilling intersected anomalous gold up to 0.4 g/t Au
- New regional syncline and structural corridor identified at Abbotts North
- Structural trend extends toward New Murchison Gold's Garden Gully Project
- Drilling fully funded and approved, with multiple discovery opportunities
Rochefort Drilling to Target Larger Gold System
PLC Resources Limited (ASX:PLC) is gearing up to recommence drilling at its Rochefort Gold Prospect on 11 September 2026, aiming to test for a more extensive gold mineralised system suggested by its initial reconnaissance program. The maiden 5-hole RC drilling campaign completed in July intersected anomalous gold grades up to 0.4 g/t Au within highly fractionated dolerite; a rock type closely linked to significant gold deposits across the Eastern Goldfields and Yilgarn Craton.
Geochemical vectors from the maiden program reveal strengthening alteration, sulphidation, and pathfinder element trends trending northwest and at depth. These mutually reinforcing indicators imply that the initial drilling likely clipped the edge of a larger mineralised system rather than encountering isolated anomalies. With drill pads already prepared and environmental and heritage approvals in place, the follow-up program can proceed without delay, fully funded from existing cash reserves.
New Structural Corridor Broadens Regional Exploration
Beyond Rochefort, PLC has unveiled a new structural interpretation based on a high-resolution airborne magnetic survey, revealing a large syncline fold along the eastern margin of the Abbotts Greenstone Belt. This previously unrecognised crustal-scale fold intersects a deep-seated east-west Proterozoic crustal feature, a structural setting often associated with high-grade orogenic gold mineralisation in the Yilgarn.
This syncline and an additional cross-cutting structural corridor extend over 8 km within PLC's tenure and continue southward into New Murchison Gold's (ASX:NMG) tenements, including the Garden Gully Gold Project, which hosts JORC resources of 4.42 Mt at 2.5 g/t Au for 359,300 ounces, including the Crown Prince deposit. The discovery of this corridor offers a significant new exploration frontier for PLC, complementing Rochefort and enhancing the company's potential for multiple gold discoveries in the region.
Exploration Strategy and Next Steps
PLC's Executive Director Simon Phillips emphasised the company's readiness to advance exploration rapidly. "We've confirmed the right host rock and strengthening alteration trends pointing to a larger gold system. Rochefort is a target we can quickly revisit thanks to existing approvals," he said. "Combined with the newly interpreted regional syncline and structural corridor extending toward New Murchison Gold's assets, we have multiple, complementary discovery opportunities at Abbotts North over the coming months."
Alongside the Rochefort drilling, PLC plans to complete detailed interpretations of the airborne magnetic data, refine drill targeting across the structural corridor, and conduct on-ground geological reconnaissance to prioritise targets. Programs of Work approvals are already secured for a regional aircore drilling campaign aimed at testing high-priority targets along this corridor.
Assay results from the September drilling at Rochefort will be eagerly awaited and are expected to provide critical insights into the scale and grade of the gold system. Meanwhile, the regional structural corridor offers a longer-term, high-potential exploration avenue that could significantly enhance PLC's footprint in the Murchison gold belt.
Bottom Line?
PLC’s methodical follow-up at Rochefort and strategic regional targeting position it well for potential gold discoveries, but assay results will be pivotal in validating these promising geological vectors.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the upcoming Rochefort drilling confirm the presence of a larger, economically viable gold system?
- How might the newly identified structural corridor reshape PLC’s exploration priorities and resource potential at Abbotts North?
- What are the implications of the syncline’s structural complexity for targeting high-grade gold mineralisation?