Hamelin Gold Ltd (ASX:HMG) has started a more than 3,000-metre Phase 2 reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the Day Dawn Gold Project in Western Australia’s Paterson Province, targeting extensions to the high-grade Aurora Lode and possible parallel mineralised structures.
The new campaign follows a 28-hole Phase 1 program completed in June 2026, which confirmed high-grade gold mineralisation from surface and showed the system remains open along strike and at depth.
Among the better Phase 1 intersections were 3 metres at 93.4 g/t gold from 9 metres, 4 metres at 21.0 g/t from 27 metres and 3 metres at 18.3 g/t from 35 metres. A deeper hole also returned 2 metres at 12.4 g/t from 149 metres.
Phase 2 targets extensions and new lodes
Phase 2 has been designed to test the interpreted southwest-plunging extension of Aurora along strike and at depth, as well as potential parallel lodes and structural repetitions.
Drilling will also test extensions to reef-style gold mineralisation encountered during Phase 1 and provide further geological and structural information to guide a planned diamond drilling program.
Phase 1 drilling established Aurora as a high-grade, northeast-trending subvertical gold lode extending from surface. Drilling at the nearby Altus Lode, about 50 metres southwest of Aurora, also intersected high-grade gold and highlighted the potential for additional reef-style mineralisation.
Only the upper part of the mineralised system has been tested so far, with mineralisation remaining open down plunge and along strike. Structural interpretation has also indicated potential for several parallel lodes within a broader mineralised corridor.
Managing director Peter Bewick said the first-phase results had strengthened Hamelin’s geological understanding of Day Dawn and provided targets that could expand the known mineralised footprint.
Day Dawn near Telfer
Day Dawn covers about 20 square kilometres and is around 10 kilometres northwest of the more than 20-million-ounce Telfer gold-copper mine in the Paterson Province.
The geological model illustrated on page 3 of Hamelin’s announcement shows the near-surface Aurora-style mineralisation above prospective Telfer Formation stratigraphy, with the company preparing to test whether the shallow lodes form part of a larger mineral system at depth.
Next steps
Hamelin expects to complete Phase 2 RC drilling within 3-4 weeks, with initial assay results anticipated in September or October 2026.
Downhole televiewer logging is also underway to improve structural interpretation.
An EIS co-funded diamond drilling program is scheduled to begin in the second half of September. It will test the interpreted intersection between the mineralised feeder system and prospective Telfer Formation stratigraphy at depth, targeting the company’s deeper “Telfer-style” exploration model.
About Hamelin Gold
Hamelin Gold is a gold explorer with projects across Western Australia’s Tanami, Paterson and Yilgarn gold provinces.
Its shareholders include Gold Fields Limited (ADR) (NYSE:GFI) and Vault Minerals Limited (ASX:VAU).