Red Bird Project Yields Gold Assays up to 49.2 g/t Ahead of 2026 Drilling
SQX Resources has validated and surpassed historical gold grades at its Red Bird Project in Arizona, with assays reaching 49.2 g/t Au. A maiden drilling campaign is planned for January 2026 to explore this promising gold system further.
- High-grade gold assays up to 49.2 g/t Au confirmed underground
- Results validate and exceed historical sampling at Red Bird Project
- Potential for open pit bulk mineralisation supported by lower-grade halos
- Binding agreement to acquire 80% of AM6 Pty Ltd, subject to approvals
- Maiden 2,500m reverse circulation drilling program targeted for January 2026
Validation of Historical High-Grade Gold
SQX Resources Limited (ASX – SQX) has announced compelling assay results from underground chip-channel sampling at the Red Bird Gold Project in Arizona, USA. The recent sampling campaign, conducted by AM6 Pty Ltd, the company SQX is set to acquire an 80% stake in, has confirmed and in some cases exceeded the historically reported high-grade gold values. Notably, assays reached up to 49.2 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, a bonanza-grade level that significantly de-risks the project’s potential.
Geological Context and Exploration Strategy
The Red Bird deposit is hosted within the Cretaceous Bisbee Formation, featuring sedimentary rocks such as limestone, sandstone, and conglomerates. Mineralisation occurs as epithermal quartz veins, breccias, and disseminated replacement styles. The recent sampling focused on shallow historical mine levels, revealing a combination of very high-grade veins surrounded by broader zones of lower-grade gold mineralisation. This pattern supports AM6’s strategy to target a bulk, potentially open pit-able gold system, which could offer a more scalable mining opportunity than narrow high-grade veins alone.
Upcoming Drilling and Acquisition Progress
Building on these encouraging results, SQX and AM6 are preparing for a maiden reverse circulation drilling program of approximately 2,500 metres, planned for January 2026. This program aims to test the continuity of mineralisation at depth and along strike, and to delineate a JORC-compliant Mineral Resource Estimate. The acquisition of AM6, which also holds the Williams Gold-Silver Project in Montana, remains subject to shareholder approval and regulatory clearances. Completion of this deal would position SQX as a significant player in US gold exploration.
Technical Assurance and Future Work
The sampling and assay procedures adhere to industry standards, with ALS Tucson and ALS Reno laboratories conducting sample preparation and fire assays. Quality control measures included the use of standards and blanks, with verification by company geologists. Further work is planned to include detailed geological mapping, bulk sampling of underground mineralised zones, and advanced geophysical surveys to identify new targets within the project area.
Broader Implications
These results come at a time when gold exploration in underexplored US jurisdictions is gaining renewed interest. The confirmation of bonanza-grade gold so close to surface, combined with the potential for bulk tonnage, could attract further investment and elevate SQX’s profile. However, the structural complexity of the deposit means that true widths of mineralisation remain uncertain until further drilling and mapping are completed.
Bottom Line?
SQX’s upcoming drilling campaign will be pivotal in defining Red Bird’s resource potential and shaping its next growth phase.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the upcoming drilling results refine the understanding of mineralisation continuity and true widths?
- What are the timelines and likelihood for shareholder and regulatory approvals to complete the AM6 acquisition?
- Could modern exploration techniques uncover additional high-grade zones or extensions beyond historical workings?
