Lightning Minerals Ltd (ASX:L1M) earlier this week confirmed it would begin its first drilling campaign at the Mt Turner Gold Project in Queensland, targeting five key zones of gold mineralisation beneath historic open pits. Alex Biggs, managing director of Lightning Minerals, told Proactive: “We’re looking forward to starting our first drill campaign at Mt Turner. There are multiple targets which the team has a high degree of confidence in.”
Highlights
- Lightning Minerals to begin maiden drilling at Mt Turner Gold Project in mid-September 2025.
- Up to 1,300 metres of diamond drilling planned across five historic pits.
- Targets include Rocky Reward, Drummer Girl, Drummer Boy, Drummer West and Drummer East.
- Project secured via recent acquisition of Lotus Minerals.
- GeoDrill Australia appointed as drilling contractor.
- Historical results include 12m @ 6.5g/t gold and 3m @ 5.1g/t gold with 51g/t silver.
- Limited prior drilling below 100 metres leaves scope for deeper discoveries.
- 12.5km soil sampling program underway to guide future exploration.
- Mt Turner located northwest of Georgetown in North Queensland.
- Additional lithium and base metals projects in Brazil, Canada and WA.
Drilling to start mid-September
Lightning Minereals will start drilling around mid-September and it will consist of up to 1,300 metres of diamond drilling. The targets include Rocky Reward, Drummer Girl, Drummer Boy, Drummer West and Drummer East — all of which lie along the Drummer Fault system, a 14-kilometre mineralised corridor.
Lightning recently acquired Lotus Minerals, securing the Mt Turner ground. The company appointed GeoDrill Australia as drilling contractor following a competitive process.
Mt Turner has a history of small-scale oxide gold mining, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s. Historical drill results include 16 metres at 3.56 g/t gold, 12 metres at 6.5 g/t gold, and 3 metres at 5.1 g/t gold with 51 g/t silver. Despite these results, the company said that very little work had been carried out below 100 metres depth, providing an opportunity to test for deeper, unexploited mineralisation.
Soil sampling to be completed
Lightning also highlighted that a soil sampling program was nearing completion across a 12.5-kilometre stretch of the Drummer Fault. The company said samples were being collected at 100-metre intervals along fence lines and every 20 metres individually, with assay results expected within four to six weeks.
The company noted that exploration was not limited to gold, with copper also forming part of its broader plans at Mt Turner. Additional exploration efforts are underway across the company's lithium portfolio, including the Esperança project in Brazil and assets in Quebec, Canada.
The company said the acquisition of Lotus Minerals complements its existing battery and base metal strategy, which includes exposure to gold, copper and lithium in key jurisdictions.