Terrain Minerals Limited (ASX: TMX), a Perth-based exploration company with a diversified portfolio of 100%-owned projects across Western Australia and Queensland, has announced the successful completion of a four-hole diamond drilling program at its Lightning Gold Project. Located within the Murchison region, approximately 350 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia, this program is a significant step towards the company’s maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), which remains on track for delivery in July 2026.
The drilling campaign at the 100%-owned Smokebush tenement (M59/796) was specifically designed to secure the final technical inputs required for the MRE. This included obtaining oriented structural data and bulk density measurements across key rock types. The company reported high-grade intercepts, notably 3.4 metres at 4.96 g/t gold from 213.6 metres in hole SBDD002, including a 1-metre section at 10.93 g/t gold. These results are said to confirm the continuity of higher-grade mineralisation at depth and validate the broader geological model for both the Lightning and Monza structures.
With the diamond drilling complete, the total drilling database for the project now encompasses approximately 16,000 metres, comprising 97 reverse circulation (RC) holes and four diamond holes. This robust dataset is expected to adequately support the initial resource definition. Terrain Minerals Executive Director Justin Virgin commented, “Completion of this program marks a key milestone as we move toward our maiden resource at Lightning. With the final dataset now in hand, we are focused on delivering a robust initial resource in July, which we see as the foundation for ongoing growth across the broader Smokebush system.”
The company is now focused on integrating the newly acquired diamond core data, density measurements, and structural information into its geological and resource models. Following the maiden MRE, Terrain Minerals anticipates undertaking further drilling to expand the resource along strike and at depth, where mineralisation remains open, alongside commencing preliminary mining studies.
