Could Metals Australia's Warrego East Drilling Uncover Tennant Creek's Next Big Deposit?

Exploration Breakthrough at Warrego East

Metals Australia Ltd (ASX – MLS) has announced promising results from its initial geochemical drilling program at the Warrego East Project, located within the prolific Tennant Creek Mineral Field in Australia's Northern Territory. The program, comprising 34 air-core and slim line reverse circulation holes totaling over 3,200 meters, targeted five under-cover prospects identified through detailed magnetic and gravity surveys.

The standout results emerged from Target 1, situated just 5 kilometers east of the historic Warrego mine, a high-grade copper-gold-bismuth deposit that produced nearly 7 million tonnes at strong grades. Drilling at Target 1 intersected thick oxide mineralisation halos rich in copper, cobalt, zinc, and bismuth within the weathered saprolite zone. Notably, iron enrichment reached up to 24%, indicating the presence of ironstone bodies analogous to those hosting the nearby Warrego deposit.

Implications for Deeper Mineralisation

The geochemical halo detected at shallow depths is interpreted as an indicator of a deeper, potentially high-grade bedrock source. Historical data from the Warrego deposit shows mineralisation extending from 140 to 790 meters below surface, hosted within ironstone pods. Metals Australia's CEO, Paul Ferguson, highlighted that the current results support the hypothesis of similar ironstone-hosted copper-gold mineralisation beneath the oxide zone at Warrego East.

The drilling at Target 1 covered a 1.2-kilometer strike length and demonstrated mineralisation open along strike and at depth, warranting further exploration. The company plans follow-up deeper reverse circulation or diamond drilling to test these bedrock targets, alongside expanded environmental approvals to facilitate future work.

Broader Regional Context and Additional Targets

Beyond Target 1, anomalous copper and gold values were also recorded at Target 2, while preliminary testing of Targets 3 to 5 yielded less significant results. Importantly, new magnetic ironstone targets have been identified along structural corridors linking Warrego East to other significant deposits such as Gecko and Orlando. These targets, characterized by coincident magnetic and gravity highs intersected by northwest-trending faults, represent compelling exploration opportunities within the Tennant Creek Mineral Field.

The Warrego East tenement lies within a major east-west trending fault corridor, a structural setting known to host several high-grade copper-gold deposits. The company's integrated geophysical and geochemical approach is proving effective in delineating prospective zones beneath transported cover, a common exploration challenge in the region.

Metals Australia's Growing Portfolio

This announcement complements Metals Australia's broader exploration and development activities, including its flagship Lac Carheil graphite project in Quebec, Canada, and critical minerals projects in Western Australia. The company continues to advance its resource base and metallurgical studies, positioning itself as a diversified player in the battery and critical minerals supply chain.

With the Warrego East results underscoring the potential for Tennant Creek-style mineralisation, Metals Australia is poised to deepen its exploration footprint in this world-class mineral field, leveraging both historical data and modern geophysical techniques.