Latest Diamond Drilling Programs News

Venari Minerals has moved Red Mountain from grassroots discovery to a 3.03Mt lithium carbonate equivalent inferred resource, backed by 99.5% battery-grade lithium carbonate test work. The next test is commercial rather than geological, with drilling, permitting and a planned Scoping Study now competing against a large loss and ongoing funding needs.

Oceana Metals has begun a 20,000-metre diamond drilling campaign at its Serra Negra rare earths project in Brazil, backed by high-grade historic assays and fresh capital. But the company’s $11.5 million FY2026 loss and an auditor-highlighted material uncertainty over going concern add a harder edge to the exploration story.

Brightstar Resources has nearly doubled the Two Mile Hill-Shillington Mineral Resource to 1.45 million ounces, with the Indicated component rising 177% to 526,000 ounces. The result lifts the broader Sandstone Gold Project to 3.6Moz, while assays from deeper drilling could provide another resource catalyst later in 2026.

Lord Resources has extended copper mineralisation across multiple lodes at Ilgarari, but its FY2026 annual report carries a material uncertainty over whether the explorer can continue as a going concern. The company ended the year with $554,820 in cash after a $2.54 million loss and $1.87 million of operating cash outflows.

Far Northern Resources expanded its Northern Territory gold inventory to 117,000 ounces during FY26, while Bridge Creek moved closer to mining studies. The progress came alongside a wider annual loss, falling cash reserves and an auditor-emphasised going-concern consideration.

Kaoko Metals has expanded drilling at its Chalkos Copper-Silver Project to at least 15,000 metres after encouraging early observations at Otniel and a new surface copper discovery at Donkey Hill East. A second rig is now drilling Donkey Hill, while assays from the first two Otniel holes are expected within two to three weeks.

Golden Globe Resources has reported a $2.23 million FY2026 loss after funding its first year as an ASX-listed explorer, while Dooloo Creek drilling confirmed copper-gold mineralisation. The company ended the year with $3.55 million in cash and says its near-term plans are funded, though further capital may eventually be required.

Reward Minerals has begun the first-ever drilling at its Mountain Pond project in Newfoundland, testing whether a surface quartz vein and shear zone continues underground. New soil results have also outlined copper targets at Ante Up and Wildcard, but the project remains firmly in the discovery phase.

Olympio Metals has started a roughly 1,500-metre maiden diamond drilling program at its Jacknife silver project in Idaho, targeting mineralisation linked to more than 3.2 million ounces of historical silver production. The campaign is significant, but the company must still verify old data before it can establish a JORC-compliant resource.

Nexus Minerals has more than doubled the Wallbrook Gold Project’s Mineral Resource to 631,000oz, adding maiden resources at Payns and Branches. Combined with Pinnacles, group resources now stand at 709,000oz, although most Wallbrook ounces remain Inferred and no Ore Reserve has been defined.

Zinc of Ireland has transformed from a small Irish zinc explorer into a metals technology developer, acquiring Meclex, raising A$5.5 million and advancing ARGO and VOLTA. The opportunity is substantial, but both technologies remain uncommercialised and the VOLTA partnership requires formal renewal.

Estrella Resources has expanded its Timor-Leste exploration footprint by 100km2 while securing conditional approval to export a 100-tonne manganese sample to an Indonesian customer. The company is also preparing 3,000 metres of drilling and a possible upgrade to part of its 621Mt Werumata limestone resource.