Right Resources Limited (ASX: RRE) has reported encouraging results from maiden diamond drilling at its Pilot Project in New South Wales, confirming extensive gold-copper mineralisation and supporting the company’s view that the project represents the shallow expression of a large-scale porphyry system.
The first hole drilled at Pilot, RRPT0001 (699.4 m), successfully intersected multiple mineralised zones, including a gold-bearing porphyry stockwork and a newly identified copper-gold target west of the primary porphyry.
The standout result was 42 metres at 0.2 g/t Au from 338 metres, associated with a thin porphyry intrusive, with narrower higher-grade intervals of up to 5 g/t Au over 0.2 metres. The intersection sits around 240 metres below surface and aligns with geological and geophysical targeting completed prior to drilling.
Pilot Project plan image illustrating location of RRPT0001 and RRPT0002 with reported assay results and pending assays.
Persistent disseminated pyrite was observed to the end of hole, outlining a broad halo consistent with the upper levels of major NSW alkalic gold-copper porphyry systems.
“These first drill results at Pilot are highly encouraging for a system that has never been drill-tested and represent a genuine greenfields discovery of a large-scale mineralised system. The initial two holes show strong geological similarities to the shallow, early-stage drilling at major porphyry systems such as Cadia Ridgeway and Boda.
"RRPT0001 intersected a broad gold stockwork zone associated with a thin porphyry unit just 240 metres below surface, as well as a newly identified copper-vein target west of our primary porphyry stockwork target. We now have two stockwork vein targets – exceeding our proof-of-concept expectations we had for our maiden drilling.
"RRPT0002, drilled 220m to the south, visually confirms a broad zone of intense alteration and veining within the new Western Target Zone, and again intersected the stockwork surrounding the primary porphyry target (from 389m down hole to 395.9m down hole). The mobile MT program appears to have successfully detected both the sulphide-rich western target and the porphyry target – an excellent outcome, with anomalies extending from surface to more than 1,000 metres depth.
Pilot Project cross section illustrating the results from hole RRPT0001.
"Together, these results suggest we are positioned within the shallow expression of a much larger system at depth – effectively the ‘smoke’ rising from a potentially significant mineralised engine below. The Company’s confidence in the need for deeper drilling has increased, and approval has now been secured to drill to 1,200m. Planning is underway to target deeper mineralisation where – consistent with comparable NSW porphyry systems – copper and gold grades may increase. Further results will be incorporated as the deeper drilling program will be finalised.”
Western Target Zone delivers additional copper-gold hits
In addition to the main porphyry target, RRPT0001 intersected a separate Western Target Zone between 60 m and 121 m, characterised by quartz-sulphide veining within alteration zones up to 5 m wide.
Assays from this zone returned:
- 0.1% Cu over 0.9 metres from 115.1 metres
- 1.1 g/t Au over 0.2 metres from 102.3 metres
- 2.5 g/t Ag over 0.2 metres from 102.3 metres
The company said this zone represents a new structural target and adds a second mineralised system to the Pilot Project footprint.
Step-out hole extends the system at least 200m
A second hole, RRPT0002, drilled 220 m south of RRPT0001, has visually confirmed the continuity of both the porphyry system and the Western Target Zone over at least 200 m of strike.
While assays are pending, geological logging has identified:
- Strong alteration and veining from 69 metres to 129 metres, corresponding to the Western Target Zone
- A thin primary porphyry intersection between 280 metres and 295.9 metres
- Stronger alteration and veining than observed in the first hole
- Historic underground workings were also intersected at shallow depth, highlighting the intensity of past mining activity in the area.
Geological similarities to major NSW porphyries
Right Resources said early-stage results at Pilot share key geological characteristics with major NSW gold-copper systems such as Cadia Ridgeway and Boda, including broad pyrite halos, stockwork veining and porphyry intrusions.
Mobile magnetotelluric (MT) geophysics has identified conductive anomalies extending from surface to more than 1 km depth, reinforcing the potential for a larger mineralised system below current drilling.
Deeper drilling approved, program expanding
The company has received approval to extend drilling depths at Pilot to 1,200 metres, allowing targeted testing of deeper parts of the system where copper and gold grades may increase.
A fan-style drilling program is underway to better define the distribution of mineralisation ahead of deeper drilling, while downhole geophysics is planned for Q1 2026.
Right Resources said it remains well funded, with a cash balance of $7.7 million as at December 31, 2025, and will update the market once assays from RRPT0002 are received and assessed.