Terrain Minerals is swinging back into action at its Smokebush project near Yalgoo, 350km north of Perth in WA, with a 4500m reverse circulation (RC) drilling program set to launch at its Lightning gold-silver prospect in the northwest of the project’s tenement block.
The proposed 21-hole campaign - split across 3200m for resource extension drilling, 975m for new discovery targets and another 250m to probe potential Lightning lookalike targets - marks a pivotal step for Terrain towards delivering the company’s maiden JORC gold resource for the project by mid-2026.
Terrain says its site preparations are complete and the drill rig is expected on site in late November, with the company figuring it will knock over at least 80% of the program before the Christmas break.
Drilling will resume in mid-January, with first gold assays expected in mid-February which will likely launch a steady and much anticipated news flow into the early new year.
Terrain is making sure it keeps a foot on 500m of contingency metreage to test any hot intercepts that may show up in preceding holes.
The Lightning prospect sits in the heart of the southern Murchison region. It is only 15km from Vault Mining’s operating Rothsay gold mine and 50km south of 29Metals’ inexhaustible giant Golden Grove gold and base metals project.
Previous drilling at Lightning lit up the boards with standout hits including 22m assaying 2.87g/t gold from 105 metres downhole in one hole, echoed by a second hole which intercepted 13m at 8.13g/t gold from 122m, including 2m at 48.22g/t gold.
A third hole delivered 17m assaying 3.43g/t gold from 147m, including 2m at 17.17g/t gold, while a fourth hole pierced 11m going 6.03g/t gold and 43.5g/t silver from 75m.
Terrain Minerals executive director Justin Virgin said: "We are thrilled with the exceptional gold & silver results from Lightning to date. These results suggest Terrain is on the verge of a major gold discovery in a province proven to host million-ounce deposits. This 4,500-metre program sends a clear signal – we are committed to rapidly advancing Lightning towards a maiden resource estimate in 2026.”
The previous results, coupled with interpreted east-west magnetic structures as likely mineralising fluid conduits, excites confidence in the prospect and the possibility of a serious fresh discovery.
Terrain’s core focus is tonnage which will involve step-out drilling along-strike and down-plunge from the Lightning and adjacent Monza trends to build critical mass.
In addition to its resource expansion endeavours, the company’s new targets will probe untested magnetic highs, while a possible repeat north of the main Lightning trend appears to mirror Lightning’s signature.
Other silver and base metals assays from previous drilling remain pending, signalling potential for further encouraging hits.
In a strategic sense, Smokebush offers low-capex leverage in a Tier-1 jurisdiction. It is surrounded by other gold projects along an important regional strike trend to both north and south, all of which boast good access, with power and functional gold processing facilities nearby.
For Terrain, Smokebush has progressed from its earlier days of greenfields promise through methodical, multi-year evaluation which could be entering its end-game – or at least the start of it - with a mineral resource estimate looming on the near horizon..
With high-grade gold confirmed, infrastructure on the doorstep and a clear resource timeline, Terrain is drilling not just for ounces, but for a potentially toll mineable asset in a proven gold belt that could see it cement its position and develop a bigger project in time.
Once the rods start turning inside the final 10 days of the month and its compressors breath more life into Lightning, Terrain’s mid-2026 maiden resource remains the prize.
Previous stellar grades from Lightning suggest that February’s next round of assays could spark the next surge of activity at the site.
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By Doug Bright
