Resolution Minerals Ltd (ASX:RML, OTCQB:RLMLF, FRA:NC3) has kicked off a major 2026 drilling campaign at its Horse Heaven antimony-tungsten-gold-silver project in Idaho, US, while also reporting encouraging early metallurgy results that could strengthen the development case for its growing Golden Gate discovery area.
The company said an MP1500 diamond core rig had begun drilling at the Golden Gate prospect, targeting both tungsten and gold mineralisation as part of a broader program planned to cover up to 13,700 metres across as many as 45 holes.
First drill hole 2026 Golden Gate program at RML’s Horse Heaven Antimony-Tungsten-Gold-Silver Project.
Golden Gate sits within Resolution’s wider Horse Heaven project, immediately adjacent to Perpetua Resources’ permitted Stibnite antimony-gold project in Idaho — a location the company continues to position as strategically important amid growing Western interest in domestic critical minerals supply chains.
The current campaign is targeting extensions to known gold mineralisation at Golden Gate North and Golden Gate South, while also testing a broader tungsten system associated with historical mine workings and soil anomalies identified across the project.
Antimony Ridge – As part of Resolution’s Horse Heaven Antimony-Tungsten-Gold-Silver Project – Relationship of Antimony Ridge (Sb) with Golden Gate (Au) and Golden Gate Tungsten (W).
Previous drilling at Golden Gate returned broad gold intersections including:
- 189.2 metres at 1.30 g/t gold from 34.1 metres in hole HH-GG25-001C;
- 265.2 metres at 0.60 g/t gold from surface in HH-GG25-002C; and
- 253 metres at 1.50 g/t gold from surface in HH-GG25-003C.
The tungsten side of the project is also becoming an increasingly important focus.
Resolution noted tungsten was historically mined at Golden Gate as recently as 1980, while previous stockpile sampling at the Johnson Creek mill site returned grades of 1.85% WO₃. The company is now drilling around the historical workings as well as a large 500-by-600-metre coincident gold and tungsten soil anomaly.
Golden Gate North & South 2026 Drill targets for gold and tungsten.
Metallurgy adds another layer to the Golden Gate story
Alongside the start of drilling, Resolution also released initial metallurgy results from composite drill core samples taken from Golden Gate, with both oxide and sulphide material delivering strong gold recoveries during early test work.
Testing conducted by IMO Labs in Perth showed oxide samples returned gold recoveries of between 94.2% and 95.5% through cyanide leaching after 24 hours, while sulphide flotation work achieved recoveries of up to 88.7%.
Golden Gate Gold Oxide Direct Leach Results.
The oxide samples came from shallower weathered material, while the sulphide composites were sourced from deeper mineralisation below the supergene zone.
Resolution said the results suggested the project could support conventional processing pathways, with further optimisation work now under way.
The sulphide test work produced gold concentrate grades of up to 49 g/t gold at recoveries above 86%, while finer grinding improved overall recovery rates to nearly 89%, albeit at lower concentrate grades.
Golden Gate Gold Sulphide Rougher Flotation Results.
Meanwhile, oxide leach tests returned residue grades of just 0.04 g/t gold after 48 hours across all grind sizes tested.
Critical minerals angle continues to grow
Resolution has increasingly shifted attention towards the strategic importance of tungsten and antimony alongside gold at Horse Heaven, particularly as the US and its allies seek to reduce reliance on Chinese-controlled critical mineral supply chains.
The company has spent recent months advancing both its antimony and tungsten strategy across the broader Horse Heaven project, including producing antimony trioxide and upgrading tungsten stockpile material into higher-grade concentrates.
A recent site visit by Resolution directors and major investors coincided with the first drill hole of the season, with the company highlighting the scale of the broader mineralised corridor linking Golden Gate, Antimony Ridge and historical tungsten workings.
Reviewing drill core from Golden Gate; Johnson Ck Mill; Ari Zaetz & Bill Breen at Antimony Ridge.
The new drilling campaign is expected to continue throughout 2026 as Resolution works to define the scale of both the gold and tungsten systems at Golden Gate.