Broken Hill Gold has started a 48 line-kilometre induced polarisation survey and 670 line-kilometre magnetic program at White Dam, targeting sulphide mineralisation beneath existing oxide prospects. A second diamond rig is also mobilising, but the next value test remains firmly in the ground: geophysical anomalies must translate into drilling results and an upgraded resource.
- 48 line-kilometres of pole-dipole IP underway
- 670 line-kilometres of high-resolution ground magnetics planned
- Second diamond rig mobilising for Icebreaker, Vertigo and Hannaford targets
- Q4 2026 oxide Mineral Resource Estimate update targeted
- More than 30,000 metres of RC and diamond drilling planned over 18 months
Icebreaker Drives a Deeper White Dam Search
Broken Hill Gold Ltd (ASX:BH6) is moving quickly to test whether its Icebreaker discovery is more than a shallow sulphide hit. The company has begun 48 line-kilometres of pole-dipole induced polarisation surveying and 670 line-kilometres of high-resolution ground magnetics across the White Dam Gold-Copper Project in South Australia.
The surveys are intended to define sulphide targets for deeper drilling, rather than deliver an immediate resource estimate or economic conclusion. Broken Hill Gold says geophysical work is expected to finish by mid-October, after which drilling will resume at Icebreaker and target the primary sulphide zone at depth.
Second Rig Expands the Drill Front
A second diamond rig is mobilising to White Dam this week. Alongside Icebreaker, it is scheduled to test targets below the historical Vertigo and Hannaford open pits, where the company says mineralisation remains open along strike and down dip but has received limited deeper drilling.
The exploration push also reaches Vertigo North Extended, Hannaford East, Rolling, Mary Mine, Green & Gold, Wilkins and Wadnaminga. Several of these prospects have historical shallow oxide gold or copper intersections, while deeper primary sulphide potential remains largely untested. The scale is consistent with the company's stated plan for more than 30,000 metres of reverse-circulation and diamond drilling, alongside geophysics and geochemistry, over the next 18 months.
Oxide Resource Work Runs Beside Sulphide Exploration
White Dam's near-term work is not limited to the higher-risk sulphide search. Drilling continues on the oxide Mineral Resource Estimate, with programs planned at Vertigo North Extended and Hannaford in September. Broken Hill Gold expects that work to support an updated and upgraded oxide resource in the fourth quarter of 2026, followed by open-pit optimisation and mine-planning studies.
The existing August 2020 resource table records 4.6 million tonnes at 0.7 grams per tonne gold for 101,900 ounces of contained gold, classified as indicated and inferred material. The table gives Hannaford 43,300 ounces, Vertigo 38,300 ounces and White Dam North, which includes Icebreaker, 20,300 ounces. These figures are historical resource estimates cited in the announcement, not a revised outcome from the current drilling.
Drilling Must Convert Targets Into Evidence
The investment case now rests on execution and conversion. IP and magnetic anomalies can help prioritise drill holes, but they are not themselves discoveries; the company has not reported new assay results in this announcement. Historical drilling data also carries acknowledged limitations, including incomplete information on sample recovery and subsampling, and the company says further drilling is required to establish geological and grade continuity suitable for resource estimation.
Broken Hill Gold is pursuing two linked outcomes: an oxide resource upgrade that could support a potential open-pit restart, and a larger sulphide inventory beneath and around existing workings. White Dam North is on an exploration licence and would require a mining licence and other permits before mining could begin, adding a regulatory step to any production scenario.
Bottom Line?
The next meaningful inflection points are the mid-October geophysical interpretation, Icebreaker diamond results and the Q4 2026 oxide resource update. Until then, White Dam remains a well-funded-looking exploration plan rather than a demonstrated sulphide expansion.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the IP and magnetic surveys identify drill targets that produce continuous sulphide mineralisation at depth?
- Can drilling at Hannaford and Vertigo materially improve the oxide resource beyond the existing 101,900-ounce estimate?
- How quickly can permitting and mine-planning work advance if the oxide resource and sulphide drilling both deliver supportive results?