Novo lifts Pilbara exploration tempo with antimony drill campaign

Novo Resources is all set to sink the drill bit into its Wyloo antimony project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, where encouraging multi-element geochemistry identified earlier in the year has paved the way for a maiden reverse-circulation program.

The new program is being launched hot on the heels of a fresh $8.2M placement, with $6.2M from tranche one already in the bag and tranche two for the remaining $2.0M expected in May, subject to shareholder approval.

The company says drill sites have been prepared and the 2500m reverse-circulation (RC) drilling program is slated to begin in late April at ground that has, until now, remained completely untested by the truth-telling rigs.

The initial holes will probe a polymetallic vein system and various mineralised structures. Novo says it will also keep a close eye on the potential for stratabound mineralisation, reserving the possibility of extending drilling further under shallow cover.

The Wyloo project sits within the Wyloo Dome area, 40km to the southeast of Black Cat Syndicate’s high-grade Paulsens gold deposit and has been the subject of a much-anticipated campaign, with each previous field campaign better defining the target. 

Paulsens previously produced over 900,000 ounces of gold at an average grade of 7.3g/t between 2005 and 2017, before being placed on care and maintenance.  The operation restarted production in late 2024, with the first gold pour occurring in December 2024.

Previous work at the company’s Wyloo SE target outlined a coherent multi-element soil anomaly with peak values of 57.2 parts per million (ppm) silver, 142ppm antimony, 1440ppm arsenic, 2180ppm zinc and 1530ppm lead.

Wyloo SE remains open but under cover to the southwest and northeast.  However, it wasn’t until a heritage survey was completed four weeks ago that access for RC drilling was finally enabled.

Follow-up exploration of Novo’s high-order Wyloo SW antimony stream anomaly defined a target area of 2.5km by 800m with peak stream sediment results of 19.9ppm antimony and an antimony-arsenic-copper lead-zinc association.

Novo Resources executive co-chairman and acting chief executive officer Mike Spreadborough said: “Novo’s extensive portfolio has some tremendous targets and we feel that Wyloo, with historic antimony sample results, provides an excellent start to 2026 exploration. Wyloo, initially identified as a prospect by regional helicopter-supported stream sediment sampling, has continued to impress with each subsequent program to this maiden drill program into this compelling target.”

The company plans to set up sectional drilling at Wyloo SE to take a closer look at vertical metal zonation, grade, width and any potential plunge. 

The work will initially focus on the main east-northeast-trending vein array, the nearby Tasha Fault zone and favourable west-northwest-trending stratigraphy, particularly around a mapped sulphide-bearing quartz-eye porphyry.

Following the Wyloo program, Novo intends to roll the rig onto its Cronus gold prospect near Karratha, where a maiden 2000m reverse-circulation drilling program is planned along five fences of holes across the Titan Shear to test several interpreted structural targets. 

The program has come about as a result of encouraging gold assays recorded in previous drilling by Artemis Resources at its Titan East prospect. Notably, significant gold was reported in a major shear zone along a contact between ultramafic and basaltic rocks. The Titan shear can be traced along a 10-kilometre trend to the northeast into Artemis’ Weerianna gold deposit.

Once the Cronus drilling is done and dusted, Novo’s focus will then move to an estimated 6000m of aircore infill drilling at its Balla Balla project to tighten up anomalies along the regionally significant Scholl Shear at its Babbage and Ramquarry prospects.

And looking a little further ahead, the company is also lining up drill planning for its Teichman project on the Tabba Tabba shear zone in the southern extremity of its Balla Balla suite of tenements for Q3 2026, subject to approvals. 

Teichman encloses multiple historic workings centred on two key mineralised shear zones, within an area measuring 2.5km by 1.3km.

Previous company exploration at Teichman, completed near the end of 2025, included mapping and surface sampling, which defined multiple shear-hosted gold targets along the Pride and Teichman trends.

That work comprised Novo’s initial reconnaissance exploration program to define drilling targets, following discussions with the Mugarinya Community, which gave the company access to the Yandeyarra Reserve for low-impact exploration.

Novo is planning heritage surveys to enable a program of RC drilling for Q3 2026.

With multiple Pilbara irons in the fire and a maiden Wyloo program soon to deliver drilling samples, Novo has signalled a clear news flow for the near term.

If even one of the company’s structural or polymetallic targets starts delivering solid hits, the campaign could mark the beginning of a very interesting year for the Pilbara-focused explorer.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au