Lightning Minerals Ltd (ASX:L1M) has started a 600-sample soil geochemistry program at the Western Zone target within its flagship Mt Turner Gold Project in North Queensland, marking the next stage of target generation ahead of planned Phase 2 drilling in July.
The Western Zone is the second major gold target area identified within the broader Mt Turner project and sits immediately west of the Mt Turner copper porphyry system.
The program will test a 5-kilometre-long structure that hosts breccias and quartz veins within a faulted sequence of schists, granite and meta-sediments intruded by rhyolite.
Lightning said the work was designed to define the extent of known mineralisation, identify further mineralisation through mapping and geochemical sampling, and generate future drill targets.
In addition, the company recently confirmed widespread high-grade tungsten mineralisation from initial reconnaissance rock chip sampling at its 100%-owned Warby Project in North Queensland.
Location Map – Mt Turner Project and Western Zone Soil Sampling.
Builds on Drummer Fault results
The latest campaign follows soil sampling at Drummer Fault, which defined five separate anomalous zones over a combined strike length of about 3.9 kilometres.
That program confirmed continuity of mineralisation between historical oxide pits, identified extensions to known mineralisation and outlined multiple gold-pathfinder anomalies.
Lightning said the results supported its district-scale exploration model at Mt Turner and demonstrated the effectiveness of geochemistry in identifying mineralisation beneath shallow cover and in areas of limited outcrop.
With Drummer Fault now progressing toward further drill testing, the company has expanded its exploration focus to Western Zone, which it describes as one of the most significant untested targets within the project.
Western Zone target
The Western Zone comprises a north-trending fault corridor extending for about 5 kilometres. It is well defined on LiDAR-derived digital terrain modelling and remains largely untested by modern exploration methods.
The target area is considered a high-priority opportunity outside the established Drummer Fault trend.
Current program objectives include defining the continuity of mineralisation, identifying coherent gold and pathfinder geochemical anomalies, refining geological and structural interpretations and generating future drill targets.
The soil survey will cover up to 4 survey blocks, with samples collected at 20-metre spacing on 200-metre line spacing across at least 5 kilometres of strike.
Sampling is expected to continue through mid-July and is being carried out alongside detailed geological mapping to improve understanding of lithology, structure and alteration patterns.
Samples will be submitted to ALS Laboratories for gold and multi-element analysis.
Western Zone Soil Sampling Area (red) using LiDAR derived DTM (Digital Terrain Model), also shown is the existing 2025 Drummer Fault soil sampling (yellow).
Chief executive officer Troy Brice said the Western Zone program was the next step in Lightning’s strategy to test the broader district-scale potential of Mt Turner.
“The recent success of the Drummer Fault soil program demonstrated that systematic geochemical exploration is highly effective at identifying extensions to mineralisation and generating high-quality drill targets,” Brice said.
“We are now applying the same disciplined approach to a second major structural trend within the project.”
He said the work complemented the company’s upcoming Phase 2 drilling campaign and strengthened its understanding of the broader mineral system while drilling preparations were finalised.
Mt Turner exploration model
Lightning’s exploration model identifies multiple mineralised targets associated with the Mt Turner intrusive complex, including Drummer Fault, Western Zone and Red Hills Breccia.
Mt Turner is the company’s flagship asset and sits within its broader portfolio of gold and copper projects across Australia.
The project is the company’s primary exploration focus, with ongoing work aimed at advancing it toward future resource definition.
Next steps
Lightning’s next steps include completing the Western Zone soil sampling program, submitting samples for laboratory analysis and integrating geochemical and geological datasets to refine future drill targets.
The company’s fully funded Phase 2 drilling campaign remains scheduled to start in mid-July 2026, or sooner if a rig becomes available.
Drilling will focus on extending mineralisation between Pits 2 and 3 in the central zone of the Drummer Fault and advancing Mt Turner toward future resource definition.