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Austral Resources has intersected high-grade copper and gold at its Cameron River project in north-west Queensland, with a standout drill result of 15m at 4.59 per cent copper and 1.16 grams per tonne (g/t) gold.
The result, recorded at the Waterhole prospect from a depth of 40m, headlined a successful reconnaissance drilling campaign that confirmed copper-gold mineralisation across six prospects within the project.
Of the 32 reverse circulation (RC) drill holes completed, 25 returned significant copper intersections, strengthening Austral’s confidence in the broader exploration potential of Cameron River.
Austral chairman David Newling said the results had provided a clearer picture of the company’s exploration opportunities.
“Waterhole has delivered the standout result from our Cameron River reconnaissance campaign, with strong copper grades accompanied by meaningful gold,” Newling said.
“We have also intersected copper–gold mineralisation across several additional targets, giving us a clearer set of priorities for follow-up drilling.”
The Waterhole discovery included a higher-grade interval of 13m at 5.21 per cent copper and 1.24g/t gold from 41m.
Additional drilling returned 17m at 1.27 per cent copper and 0.29g/t gold from 7m, including 4m at 2.52 per cent copper and 0.82g/t gold.
Austral said mineralisation at Waterhole remains open along strike and at depth, with geological interpretations suggesting potential continuity around a folded geological structure.
Beyond Waterhole, Austral identified encouraging results at Playboy and Dawn Marie, two prospects situated within an interpreted 1.3km-long structural corridor.
Drilling at Playboy returned 5m at 2.79 per cent copper and 0.26g/t gold from 10m, while Dawn Marie delivered 7m at 1.00 per cent copper and 0.26g/t gold from 113m.
Further copper-gold intersections were recorded at Trumby Line, Lost Weekend and Snow Queen, reinforcing the presence of mineralisation across multiple targets.
Located approximately 40km from Austral’s Rocklands processing facility, Cameron River forms part of the company’s broader exploration portfolio within Queensland’s Mount Isa copper province.
The latest discoveries complement previous exploration success at Snow Queen and Enterprise, supporting Austral’s ambitions to expand its copper resource base.
These results also follow the most recent doubling of the known copper footprint at the miner’s McLeod Hill project, where mineralisation extended beyond one kilometre of strike and outside the project’s existing mineral resources.
Announced in early October, this expansion followed a 20-hole drilling campaign, where 12 holes returned significant copper intersections; Newling said then that the results demonstrated why exploration close to existing infrastructure remains an important part of Austral’s growth strategy.
As for Cameron Rover, Newling said the company was now preparing to advance its wider exploration strategy.
“Our immediate drilling focus now moves to Miranda whilst we refine the next phase of exploration at Cameron River,” he said.
“These results, alongside previous results like Enterprise and Snow Queen, start to demonstrate the prospectivity of our tenure across north-west Queensland, and with an increased exploration programme scheduled for 2027, our belief is that our copper resources will grow substantially as we continue to prosecute our strategy to become Australia’s next mid-tier copper powerhouse.”
Follow-up drilling at Cameron River will target extensions around Waterhole and investigate potential mineralised corridors at Playboy–Dawn Marie and Trumby Line, while exploration shifts towards resource definition and expansion opportunities at Miranda.
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