Latest Underground Drilling News

Ora Banda Mining has begun underground development at Waihi in Western Australia, where drilling has returned intersections of up to 1.6 metres at 65.9 g/t gold. The mine is scheduled to deliver first underground ore in mid-2027, ahead of the company’s planned 3.0 Mtpa Davyhurst processing plant.

Rox Resources has started surface diamond drilling at Youanmi, targeting resource conversion, incremental growth and deeper extensions of the high-grade United North system. The campaign could support future reserve growth and mine-life extensions, but its value still depends on drilling results that have yet to arrive.

Catalyst Metals has lifted the Keillor gold Resource from 81koz to 307koz after a major drilling campaign, while the operating mine ramps up near the Plutonic processing plant. The company expects an Ore Reserve update to extend Keillor’s initial three-year mine life.

Haranga Resources is preparing to begin a 16-hole underground drilling campaign at its Lincoln Gold Project, targeting the southern resource and an under-drilled gap between the Lincoln and Comet zones. The programme arrives alongside new underground power infrastructure, completed dewatering and several assays that could shape a later resource update.

Rox Resources has increased Youanmi’s Ore Reserve by 8% to 727,000 ounces after mining depletion, while the broader Mineral Resource edged up to 2.195 million ounces. The update excludes results from recent surface and underground drilling programs, leaving future revisions as a potential source of change.

Krakatoa Resources has reported high-grade gold and antimony results from the first batch of its 2026 Zopkhito drilling assays, including 1.8 metres at 11.09 g/t gold and 3.56% antimony. The results support continuity at Vein 6 and identify mineralisation outside the project’s existing foreign estimate, but remain exploration results pending further drilling and a JORC assessment.

FireFly Metals has raised approximately A$180 million through a dual-market equity raising to accelerate development of its Green Bay Copper-Gold Project in Newfoundland, Canada.

Vault Minerals has reported a 9% increase in its 2026 Ore Reserves to 3.9 million ounces of gold, driven by notable gains at its Leonora and Deflector operations, underpinning a robust production outlook through FY29.

Vertex Minerals has revised the Reward Gold Mine resource to 146,900 ounces at 16.68 g/t gold, boosting the Indicated grade by 36% to 21.17 g/t. The update refines geological confidence and outlines three priority underground drilling targets ahead of planned 2027 operations.

Kantra Copper (ASX:KAN) showcased a robust growth strategy at the Copper to the World Conference, spotlighting its Kanmantoo mine extension, Emily Star development, and advancing exploration projects. The company maintains strong production guidance and financial health amid a tightening copper market.

Valiant Gold is fast-tracking the restart of its Comet Gold Mine in Western Australia, securing major infrastructure contracts and advancing technical studies to target production resumption by Q2 FY27.

Kantra Copper has successfully expanded the Spitfire lode at its Kanmantoo mine, intersecting significant high-grade copper-gold mineralisation beyond previous resource boundaries. This underground drilling breakthrough sets the stage for a substantial resource update later this year.