Lightning Minerals Ltd. has identified a high-priority, undrilled Climax-style porphyry molybdenum target at the Eastern Rhyolite Complex (ERC) within its Mt Turner Project in Queensland.
The major target emerged following an internal review that integrated approximately 3,500 historical soil samples with reprocessed aeromagnetic and induced polarisation (IP) geophysical data.
The three exploration vectors converge on a compelling feature across the 3.7-square-kilometre ERC target area. A broad 600-metre by 400-metre annular molybdenum soil anomaly grading above 30 parts per million sits directly above a coincident IP chargeability response at approximately 120 metres depth. Surface outcrops exhibit oxidised stockwork veining with handheld XRF readings reaching up to 1,400 ppm molybdenum.
The high-priority target remains completely undrilled despite displaying classic porphyry characteristics, including rhyolite dyke swarms, pervasive sericite alteration, and fluidised breccias.
Lightning Minerals Managing Director Troy Brice described the discovery as a significant milestone for the company’s strategic exploration model.
“The Eastern Rhyolite Complex has emerged as a compelling new target from our systematic review of Mt Turner’s extensive historical datasets,” Brice said.
“What makes this particularly compelling is the convergence of three key and independent indicators. Molybdenum is increasingly recognised as a strategic critical mineral, and identifying a target of this calibre is an exciting development.”
The strong IP chargeability anomaly at depth suggests the presence of underlying sulphide mineralisation, which may include copper beneath the weathered oxide zone.
While molybdenum remains relatively immobile at the surface, copper is highly mobile, meaning drill testing will be required to confirm potential copper extensions.
Lightning Minerals has collected and submitted 49 confirmatory soil samples for laboratory assay validation. The results will assist in defining precise targets for a maiden reconnaissance drilling program.
The discovery adds critical mineral optionality to the Mt Turner Project, which already features a 14-kilometre gold system along the regional Drummer Fault.
