Sipa Uncovers High-Grade Gold at Nuckulla Hill: What’s Next?

Exceptional Maiden Drilling Results

Sipa Resources Limited (ASX, SRI) has unveiled outstanding results from its inaugural Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling campaign at the Nuckulla Hill Gold Project in South Australia. The highlight comes from the Sheoak prospect, where the company intersected a remarkable 16 metres grading 5.6 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, including a high-grade 4 metres at 16.2 g/t Au. These results mark a significant milestone for Sipa’s exploration efforts in the region.

The drilling program, comprising 13 holes totaling 1,684 metres, was designed to test and extend historical gold mineralisation identified in the 1990s. The new data not only confirms the presence of high-grade gold but also reveals that the mineralisation remains open both along strike and at depth, suggesting the potential for a much larger gold system than previously understood.

Strategic Location within a Proven Gold Corridor

The Nuckulla Hill Project is strategically situated within the Yarlbrinda Shear Zone, a major structural corridor known for hosting significant gold deposits, including Barton Gold Holdings Limited’s 1.6 million ounce Tunkillia Gold Project located approximately 50 kilometres to the north. The geological setting features hydrothermal lode-style gold mineralisation hosted in sheared granitoids and gneisses, with alteration and sulphide assemblages typical of structurally controlled gold systems.

Sipa’s Managing Director Andrew Muir emphasised the importance of the location, noting that the high-grade zones at Sheoak are part of a broader underexplored gold corridor. He highlighted that historical drilling, which was predominantly shallow, may have failed to effectively test deeper mineralisation, opening new exploration opportunities across the project area.

Follow-Up Drilling and Regional Exploration Plans

Building on these promising results, Sipa is poised to commence a follow-up aircore drilling program within the coming week. This program aims to test the extensions of the Sheoak high-grade zone along strike and at depth, as well as to evaluate other gold-in-calcrete anomalies within the Nuckulla Hill and nearby Tunkillia North projects. The upcoming campaign will include approximately 4,000 to 5,000 metres of aircore drilling, supplemented by select RC holes targeting deeper mineralisation.

Additionally, Sipa is undertaking detailed regional geological and structural studies to refine exploration targets and identify further prospects within the Yarlbrinda Shear Zone. The company also plans soil sampling programs to support this effort, aiming to build a robust pipeline of drill-ready targets in South Australia and Western Australia.

Implications for Sipa and the Regional Gold Landscape

The maiden drilling success at Nuckulla Hill significantly enhances Sipa’s exploration profile, demonstrating the potential for meaningful gold discoveries in a historically underexplored region. The open nature of the mineralisation and the presence of multiple gold anomalies across a 10-kilometre strike length underscore the prospectivity of the project.

While these results are early-stage and require further drilling and assay confirmation, they position Sipa well within a competitive gold exploration landscape in South Australia. Investors and industry watchers will be keenly observing the forthcoming aircore program results and subsequent assay data to gauge the continuity and scale of the mineralisation.