Warraweena Drilling Begins: Can S2 Unlock Hidden Base and Precious Metals?
S2 Resources has commenced a two-month drilling campaign at its Warraweena project in northern NSW, targeting six geophysical anomalies with potential for multiple valuable mineral deposits. A follow-up gravity survey is advancing to refine these targets further.
- First pass diamond drilling underway on six selected targets
- Follow-up gravity survey approximately 60% complete
- Targets include potential magmatic nickel-copper, IOCG, porphyry copper-gold, and base metal sulphides
- S2 earning up to 80% interest in Oxley Resources tenement and holds 100% in adjacent ground
- Project area largely unexplored beneath younger cover and alluvium
Exploration Takes a Step Forward
S2 Resources Ltd has initiated its first pass diamond drilling program at the Warraweena project in northern New South Wales, marking a significant milestone in the company’s exploration efforts. The program targets six geophysical anomalies identified through detailed gravity and magnetic surveys, with drilling expected to continue for approximately two months.
The Warraweena project, situated beneath younger sedimentary cover and alluvial deposits of the Darling River system, has remained largely unexplored due to the difficulty of penetrating these overlying layers. However, recent government-released datasets, including a heavy mineral concentrate survey highlighting anomalous nickel, copper, and zinc grains, have brought renewed attention to the area’s prospectivity.
Diverse Targets with Multiple Mineralisation Styles
The six initial targets selected for drilling exhibit a range of gravity and magnetic signatures interpreted to represent different mineralisation styles. These include potential magmatic nickel-copper sulphide bodies, iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) diatremes, porphyry copper-gold systems, and volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits akin to those found in the Cobar Basin or Broken Hill region.
For example, Anomalies 1, 2, and 5 are strong magnetic lows coincident with gravity highs, suggesting dense ultramafic intrusions or iron oxide-bearing diatremes with potential for nickel-copper or IOCG mineralisation. Anomalies 4 and 6, characterized by discrete gravity highs on subtle magnetic trends, may represent accumulations of base metal sulphides such as copper, zinc, lead, and silver.
Strategic Land Position and Farm-In Agreement
S2 is earning up to an 80% interest in exploration licence EL9269, held by Oxley Resources, through a farm-in agreement requiring A$2.7 million expenditure by mid-2027. Additionally, S2 holds 100% ownership of three adjacent tenements, expanding its footprint over a combined area exceeding 2,600 square kilometres. This strategic landholding covers a northeast-trending belt of magnetic rocks known as the Warraweena Volcanics, interpreted as part of a volcanic island arc system analogous to the Macquarie Arc, a known host to significant copper-gold deposits.
Historical drilling in the area has been sparse and largely ineffective at penetrating the cover sequence, leaving the basement geology poorly understood. The current drilling campaign aims to characterize the source rocks of the geophysical anomalies and guide future exploration efforts.
Ongoing Geophysical Work and Future Plans
Complementing the drilling, a follow-up detailed gravity survey is approximately 60% complete, extending coverage across the project area to refine target definitions. The company plans to integrate the results of this survey with drilling outcomes to design subsequent exploration programs.
While one historic gold-mineralised intercept lies within a pending exploration licence application (ELA6941) and cannot yet be followed up, S2 intends to pursue this target once the licence is granted. The combination of compelling geophysical anomalies, recent government data, and a strategic land position positions Warraweena as a highly prospective greenfields project with multiple avenues for discovery.
Bottom Line?
As drilling progresses and gravity data matures, Warraweena could emerge as a key multi-commodity exploration frontier in NSW.
Questions in the middle?
- What initial assay results will reveal about the nature and grade of mineralisation at the six targets?
- When will the pending exploration licence ELA6941 be granted, enabling follow-up drilling on the historic gold intercept?
- How will the extended gravity survey reshape target prioritisation and influence future drilling campaigns?
