Argent Minerals Ltd (ASX: ARD) has kicked off its 2026 exploration campaign at the wholly owned Kempfield Silver-Polymetallic Project in the Lachlan Orogen of New South Wales, with a diamond drilling program targeting multiple silver and polymetallic zones.
The company plans 10 diamond drill holes (DDH) for about 1,880 m, designed to test extensions to known mineralisation and follow up conductive trends identified from VTEM geophysics.
Drilling has re-commenced across the project’s mineral resource estimate (MRE) area, including Lodes 100, 200 and 300, as well as Kempfield VTEM zones and the Gap Prospect located between the main lode corridors.
Proposed drilling areas for the current 2026 Program over the Kempfield Project.
“2026 is shaping up as an exciting year for the global silver market on the back of a structural change in 2025. Argent remains focused on growing the silver resource base at Kempfield with a well-funded and systematic exploration strategy to deliver value for our shareholders,” Argent Minerals managing director//CEO Pedro Kastellorizos said.
“As announced on 21 January 2026, the discovery of a new high-grade silver lode outside of the existing Kempfield Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) is a fantastic start to CY2026.
“We will build on this discovery while delivering a significant number of catalysts and newsflow throughout the year.”
Targets and planned work
Argent said the current phase is intended to test VTEM conductive trends considered prospective for Au–Ag–Cu–Pb–Zn mineralisation, while also targeting potential extensions to high-grade silver–lead–zinc mineralisation across Lodes 100 to 300.
Key areas include:
- MRE Lode 100: Drilling is planned to test extensions to higher-grade silver–lead–zinc mineralisation identified in prior RC campaigns, alongside infill holes aimed at addressing areas of sparse historical drilling in the northern part of the MRE area.
- MRE Lode 200: Argent reported silver mineralisation has been identified below historical high-grade zones that were not adequately tested by shallow RC drilling, which it said ended in mineralisation and left potential for depth extensions.
- MRE Lode 300: The program will target deeper down-plunge extensions of known silver mineralisation, aimed at potential higher-grade additions beyond the current resource envelope.
- Kempfield VTEM zones: Follow-up drilling will test priority geophysical anomalies interpreted as potential blind, sulphide-rich systems associated with the broader Kempfield mineralisation trend.
- Gap Prospect: Argent will drill test a sparsely drilled corridor of about 750 m between Lodes 100 and 300, which the company considers a priority area for potential continuation of polymetallic mineralisation within the MRE footprint.
Kempfield remains Argent’s key exploration asset, and the company said the 2026 program is focused on defining extensions to known lodes and testing new targets generated from geophysical interpretation across the Kempfield trend.