Lightning Minerals Ltd (ASX:L1M) has hit the ground running following its recent acquisition of Lotus Minerals, launching a 1,300-metre diamond drilling program at the Mt Turner gold project in North Queensland.
The campaign will test multiple high-priority gold and silver targets along the Drummer Fault — a 14-kilometre east-west structure that has already delivered shallow, high-grade results from previous exploration.
Isometric view of Mt Turner project demonstrating the 14km Drummer Fault
Phase 1 program under way
Drill contractors Geo Drill Australia have been engaged to carry out the work, bringing local expertise and operational experience. The Phase 1 program is designed to probe beneath and around existing shallow pits mined during the 1990s, where historic drilling highlighted strong gold and silver mineralisation.
Previous intercepts at Mt Turner include:
- 16 metres at 3.56 g/t gold (hole UMDT95_D04)
- 16 metres at 3.60 g/t gold and 12 metres at 6.5 g/t gold (hole UMDT95_D03)
- 7 metres at 1.7 g/t gold and 67 g/t silver (hole 21ISMDWRC001_DH6)
- 3 metres at 5.1 g/t gold and 51 g/t silver (hole DH2)
- 1 metre at 3.4 g/t gold and 100 g/t silver (hole QMCD83_D03)
- 5.2 metres at 1.5 g/t gold and 80 g/t silver (hole QMCD83_D04).
Key value driver
Lightning Minerals managing director Alex Biggs welcomed the start of drilling at Mt Turner.
“With the current gold and silver markets and multiple targets, this is the start of what the company sees as a significant value add to the business,” he said.
“Multiple targets exist across the Mt Turner tenements, with this initial program focusing on high-priority gold and silver targets,” he added. “Soil sampling and rock chip sampling will also assist in defining additional targets across the tenements for an expanded drill campaign following this initial program.
“We are entering a busy period for the company, and I look forward to updating you all on our progress.”
Indicative drill targeting at the Mt Turner Gold Project – Rocky Reward Deposit (Digital Terrain Model showing existing open pits, previous drill locations and planned drill hole locations)
About Mt Turner and broader portfolio
Mt Turner lies about 15 kilometres northwest of Georgetown in Queensland. The tenements (EPM 27170 and EPM 27525) cover sections of the Drummer Fault and associated splays, which may have acted as conduits for higher-grade mineralisation.
Indicative drill targeting at the Mt Turner Gold Project – Drummer Deposits (Digital Terrain Model showing existing open pits, previous drill locations and planned drill hole locations)
The project offers near-term opportunities to expand on historical oxide pit production while testing deeper sulphide potential.
Lightning’s move into gold complements its broader critical minerals and lithium strategy. Alongside Mt Turner, the company holds lithium projects in Brazil and Canada, and multiple exploration-stage assets in Western Australia.
The Lotus acquisition earlier this month gave Lightning a foothold in Australian gold and copper projects with brownfields potential.
Read more: Lightning Minerals completes acquisition of Lotus Minerals projects