Lefroy brings Burns Central into Mt Martin development study

Burns Central joins Mt Martin development assessment

Lefroy Exploration Limited (ASX:LEX) is broadening its central development test before releasing the numbers. The company has expanded its Mt Martin Scoping Study to include Burns Central, assessing whether the deposits could share processing and infrastructure rather than being evaluated as separate projects.

The decision follows a resource review at Burns Central that Lefroy says confirmed the geological and resource assumptions behind earlier estimates. Burns Central has a reported total resource of 497,472 ounces of gold and 58,300 tonnes of contained copper, while the higher-grade portion contains 159,285 ounces of gold at 1.18 grams per tonne. The proposed Burns integration had previously been under consideration alongside Mt Martin.

Preliminary study reaches modelling stage

The expanded assessment is being coordinated by The Measured Group and has completed pit optimisation, metallurgical review, mine design, production scheduling, financial modelling and development-sequencing work. Lefroy is now reviewing the completed work and its key assumptions, with the report still targeted for the December quarter of 2026.

Mt Martin itself has a reported resource of 460,000 ounces from 9.1 million tonnes at 1.6 grams per tonne, including 259,500 ounces classified as Inferred. The company’s June study launch followed an updated Mt Martin resource and set out to examine mining, processing, infrastructure and economic options.

That distinction matters: this is a preliminary technical and economic assessment, not a production decision. The company says further technical studies, approvals and permitting would be required before development could be justified, and cautions that the Inferred component of the Mt Martin resource carries a lower level of geological confidence.

Exploration targets could influence future mine design

Lefroy has identified priority exploration zones along the Main, East and Adelaide Shear corridors at Mt Martin. The targets sit beside existing resource blocks and, in several cases, the optimised pit shell being considered in the study.

The company is designing shallow drilling programs to test along-strike extensions, with drilling intended to begin in the first quarter of 2027. Any mineralisation confirmed by that work could be relevant to later development planning, although the targets remain prospective areas rather than Mineral Resources. Additional target areas across the wider Location 45 holding are due to be outlined in exploration updates during November.

Lucky Strike restart remains approval-dependent

At Lucky Strike, mining and dewatering remain on hold after groundwater inflows disrupted operations. Miscellaneous Licence L25/71 has now been granted and a heritage survey covering the proposed activities, including a second dewatering corridor, was completed without objections from participating Kakarra Native Title holders.

Lefroy plans to submit a works approval amendment for the second corridor and a revised Mine Development Closure Plan this month. Subject to the required approvals and completion of the necessary works, the company anticipates that dewatering and mining could resume during the March quarter of 2027. The timing is therefore conditional, rather than a firm restart date.

New exploration leadership arrives

Michael Omant has joined Lefroy as Exploration Manager after two decades across exploration, project evaluation, program design and geological due diligence. He was most recently a Senior Geologist at Newexco and previously served as Principal Generative Geologist at IGO.

His appointment gives Lefroy additional exploration capacity as it advances the expanded study, prepares Mt Martin drilling and continues work across its Eastern Goldfields portfolio. The immediate test for the company is whether the December study produces a credible shared-development case, while Lucky Strike must still clear its regulatory and operational hurdles before it can resume contributing to the portfolio.