In a significant move for Queensland's junior exploration sector, Pacgold Limited has commenced its maiden drilling campaign at the highly prospective St George gold-antimony project in the state's far north.
Maiden Drilling Campaign Underway
The company has initiated a nine-hole reverse circulation program totalling approximately 900 metres across its sprawling 905-square-kilometre land package. This represents the first-ever drilling conducted by Pacgold at St George and follows recent spectacular surface sampling that returned rock chips grading up to 52.7 per cent antimony and 10.2 grams per tonne gold.
Managing Director Matthew Boyes described the speed from discovery to drilling as remarkable, noting the company moved from first rock chips to rig on the ground in under six weeks. The current drilling program is expected to be completed within the next two weeks, with assay results anticipated within six weeks.
High-Grade Targets and Historical Significance
The initial drilling focuses on the St George prospect in the northern section of the project area, targeting the depth and continuity of outcropping ultra high-grade gold-antimony veins mapped along historic mine workings. The company's Fence and Ridgeline prospects, which also delivered impressive surface results, are scheduled for drilling early next year.
The project lies within Queensland's Hodgkinson Province, the same geological belt that hosted the legendary Palmer River and Hodgkinson gold rushes during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Pacgold believes the corridor contains some of the thickest and richest antimony-bearing quartz veins in the state, with mineralised structures showing strong similarities to the nearby Tregoora and Northcote deposits.
Expanding Precious and Critical Metals Portfolio
The St George campaign represents the third active front in Pacgold's diversified metals strategy. The company recently completed resource expansion drilling at its 854,000-ounce Alice River gold project and continues to advance its flagship White Dam heap-leach operation in South Australia, which remains on track for first gold cashflows by February next year.
At just 900 metres, the maiden program at St George is designed to be cost-effective, rapid and high-impact. Should the drilling confirm the exceptional surface grades at depth, the project could quickly transition from early-stage prospect to exploration priority in a province renowned for its gold-antimony associations.
The countdown now begins for the first assay results, which are expected to provide the market with an initial assessment of the project's potential before the end of the year.
