Battery Age Minerals has confirmed a mineralised zinc-lead-germanium system at the Rubland and Tschöklnock targets at its Bleiberg project in Austria.
The company said initial diamond drilling validated its exploration model within the historic Bleiberg district, a region boasting over 700 years of mining pedigree.
The six-hole, 1,685-metre program targeted greenfield sites at Rubland and Tschöklnock, yielding higher-grade intersections including 2.5 metres at 3.96 per cent Zn+Pb at Rubland.
The results are particularly significant due to the presence of germanium, a high-value critical metal essential for fibre optics, night vision, and semi-conductors.
Before its closure in 1993, the Bleiberg mine was one of the world’s premier germanium producers, with historic concentrate grades reaching up to 1,500 grams per tonne.
Battery Age CEO Sebastian Kneer said: “The results from our 2025 maiden drilling program at Bleiberg mark a major operational milestone for Battery Age.
“Despite a scarcity of detailed historical information and limitations in accessibility to targets during phase-1 drilling, these early results reinforce our belief that Bleiberg is a truly unique project with the potential to play a critical role in strengthening the European Union’s critical mineral security and Western supply chains.”
The company is now pivoting its focus toward the 2026 field season.
Permit applications are currently underway to target extensions at Rubland and high-priority zones west of the Antoni Shaft.
A key objective for the next phase is the Windisch Alp target, the most proximal westerly target to the historic Bleiberg mine, which the company was unable to access during the first phase of drilling.
Additionally, Battery Age is in discussions with local authorities to re-enter historic mine adits for underground surveys and sampling.