Terrain pumps up drilling program at Murchison gold-silver play

Terrain Minerals has cranked up the drill bit at its Smokebush project in Western Australia, extending its current reverse circulation drilling campaign in search of high-grade silver and gold at its Lightning and Monza prospects. 

The company has tacked on a further 700 metres and three holes, expanding the program to a substantial 20 holes for 4300m. The expansion stems from keen field observations by Terrain on the ground.

The pumped-up program is now set to wrap up by Monday, with assays expected for release by August.

The program was designed to probe multiple parallel gold zones identified through Terrain’s evolving induced polarisation (IP) model, which already proved its worth by pinpointing high-grade hits, such as 11m at a large 6.03 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 43.5g/t silver at Lightning and a 5m hit grading 3.77g/t gold at Monza. 

The company says it is zeroing in on defining and extending the mineralised systems – no doubt allowing shareholders’ imaginations to wander.

Located 350 kilometres north of Perth in the Yalgoo greenstone belt, Smokebush sits in world-class exploration territory, 50km south of 29Metals’ Golden Grove deposit, 25km south of Warriedar Resources’ Ricciardo gold-antimony deposit and 15km north of Vault Mining’s Rothsay project. Its proximity to these major players, coupled with year-round access and nearby mining infrastructure, gives Terrain a strategic edge as it targets a maiden resource for the project by mid-next year.

Terrain says its IP modelling continues to guide the drill bit, initially targeting a 600m-long anomaly at Lightning and the 700m mineralised trend at Monza.

The company says a strong correlation exists at Lightning between gold and pathfinder elements such as lead, zinc, silver and arsenic, raising the possibility of a volcanogenic massive-style system akin to the nearby Golden Grove or Mt Gibson. 

The company will also continue to advance metallurgical test work on Lightning’s mineralisation, assessing gold and silver recovery through gravity and cyanide leach methods, a critical step toward de-risking future development.

Beyond gold, Terrain is making waves with its Larin’s Lane gallium and rare earth elements project within the Smokebush tenement package. A maiden drilling program in late 2023 intersected broad gallium zones across a 9km by 3km area. Metallurgical studies by a team at Curtin University are also underway, positioning Larin’s Lane to cash in on the emerging critical minerals environment.

The company has been keen to spread its good news, with executive director Justin Virgin pitching Smokebush’s gold and critical minerals credentials to more than 60 fund managers, brokers and high-net-worth investors at a recent mining conference and roadshow in New York, the home of critical minerals hype.

With high-grade intercepts, a savvy geophysical approach and a diversified portfolio in a hot mining jurisdiction, Terrain’s decision to expand its drill program at an already promising Smokebush will likely bring more good news for the company. The next few months could prove pivotal as the drill bit truths its next big hit.

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