Great Western Exploration has intercepted zinc and silver mineralisation during maiden reverse circulation drilling at the Seymour Target, part of its Juggernaut copper-gold project in Western Australia.
The discovery sits within the Yerrida Basin, approximately 70 kilometres south-east of Sandfire Resources’ high-grade DeGrussa volcanic-hosted massive sulphide (VHMS) copper-gold deposit.
Key assay results from the drilling program include 12 metres at 0.33 per cent zinc, 7 grams per tonne (g/t) silver, and 0.09 per cent lead from 77 metres in drill-hole 26GJGRC006.
This interval featured higher-grade zones of one metre at 1.02 per cent zinc and two metres at 20 g/t silver. A second hole, 26GJGRC002, returned five metres at 0.22 per cent zinc, 2 g/t silver, and 0.15 per cent lead from 98 metres.
Geological modelling indicates the drill intercepts represent the cooler, outboard margin of a seafloor mound type VHMS system.
The distinctive zinc-silver-lead geochemical signature, combined with 1 to 5 per cent sulphide mineralisation at a shale-mafic volcanic rock boundary, aligns with the outer zones of fertile VHMS deposits.
Great Western interprets that the higher-temperature, copper-gold core of the system remains undiscovered in close proximity to the initial drill sites.
Because VHMS deposits frequently occur in clusters, the presence of a fertile system significantly enhances the project’s overall prospectivity.
The maiden drilling program tested several targets defined through systematic field mapping rather than discrete geophysical anomalies. While remaining targets yielded no economic intercepts, insights gained at Seymour will refine exploration models across the broader tenure.
Great Western is now moving to fast-track regulatory approvals for follow-up drilling. The next phase will run alongside down-hole and surface geophysical surveys to pinpoint the targeted copper-gold core.
