Terrain Minerals’ latest induced-polarisation (IP) survey has kicked-up a suite of potential gold targets within large chargeability zones stretching more than 800 metres at its Wildflower prospect, part of the wider Smokebush project about 350 kilometres north of Perth.
The company plans to spin the drill-bit in January next year to test three new prospects across three large-scale structures revealed by the IP survey.
Terrain believes the structures are like those found at its Lightning discovery, with both Wildflower and Lightning in similar positions around the same Mt Mulgine granite intrusion.
Management believes the 2300m reverse-circulation drill program planned for January at Wildflower, presents a significant opportunity to grow its footprint across the Smokebush project, located within the renowned Murchison gold province. It expects assay results in April.
An IP survey is similar to an underground X-ray, potentially unveiling gold mineralisation by sending electrical currents into the ground and measuring how the rocks respond. Gold-bearing rocks contain sulphide minerals that respond differently to electrical currents and can create anomalies that can be followed up with mapping and further exploration programs.
An IP survey can be a cost-effective method to generate drill targets across considerable ground areas and assist with more targeted drilling. It can unveil structures that cannot be seen from surface.
Management says its latest IP survey reveals east-west trending structures that match Lightning’s controls on mineralisation, with the same magnetic rock types that host gold at its other prospects. It says there is evidence of alteration with lower electrical resistance zones, indicating alterations to the rocks, often a pointer to gold deposits.
Terrain Minerals executive director Justin Virgin said: "We are accelerating our exploration strategy at the Smokebush project following this rapid and cost-effective survey at Wildflower. The IP results have exceeded our expectations, revealing multiple large-scale targets that share the same characteristics as our Lightning and Monza discoveries."
Wildflower has been subjected to various exploration works in recent times, including extensive mapping and a successful air-core drill program that identified mineralised zones. It is an area mostly covered by soil.
Terrain is attempting to unlock its gold potential across the entire Smokebush ground and the use of ground-based geophysics, such as IP, is the company’s go-to method.
The use of IP at Lightning in 2023 returned a compelling anomaly, which was followed up with drilling. A reverse circulation drill hole plunged into its ground the same year to test that anomaly, intersected 2m going 6.22 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 82m downhole.
Two further holes drilled in 2025, immediately north and south of the 2023 hit, also kicked up significant results. The first hole returned 11m at 6.03g/t gold and 43.5g/t silver from a depth of 75m, including a 1m slice at a solid 10.28g/t gold and 123g/t silver from 76m and 1m grading 11.41g/t gold and 86.9g/t silver from 80m.
The second hole delivered a 3m hit at 6.12g/t gold from 26m, including a 1m section at 15.68g/t gold and 10.5g/t silver.
Further drilling in July this year returned a striking gold interval of 22 metres grading 2.71g/t gold from a depth of 105m and was confirmation the company might have stumbled onto a noteworthy discovery.
Additional significant gold hits of 13m at 8.13g/t from 122m, including 2m grading 48.22g/t gold, along with a 17m stretch going 3.43g/t from 147m, which included 2m at 17.17g/t, showed the prospectivity for gold at Lightning.
Notably, more silver has also been unearthed at the site. Several promising recent silver hits include a 21m run at 15.79g/t silver from 105m, including 1m going 70.59g/t from 108m and a 17m interval at a grade of 17.88g/t from 147m, which included a solid 4m slice at 48.8g/t silver from 151m.
Terrain is about to launch into its next round of drilling at Lightning prior to getting into its planned Wildflower drill campaign.
The Lightning prospect sits within the Yalgoo Mineral Field, part of the Murchison region, which is a proven gold district flanked by gold operations north and south of Terrain’s ground. The 29 Metals’ Golden Grove mine and mill and the $5 billion Capricorn Metals’ Mt Gibson mine are nearby and Lightning is just 10km west of the $5 billion ASX-listed Vault Minerals’ Rothsay gold mine.
Wildflower, which is almost within shouting distance Rothsay, was initially identified as a 1000m by 500m gold-in-soil anomaly. It has the potential for the same mineralisation and is coincident with a shear zone hosting the Rothsay deposit.
The company is using IP modelling incredibly effectively as its secret sauce, unlocking some compelling targets and then guiding the drill bit as it seeks to confirm that plenty lies beneath the surface.
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By Craig Nolan
