12m at 6.55 g/t Au Highlights Charger’s Xmas Gold Discovery Potential

A New Chapter in Mt Gordon Gold Exploration

Charger Metals NL has revealed a promising high-grade gold discovery at its Xmas Gold Discovery site, located within the company’s wholly owned Mt Gordon tenement in Western Australia’s Lake Johnston Lithium and Gold Project. The initial results from a recent 3,012-metre Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling campaign have delivered compelling intercepts, including 12 metres at 6.55 grams per tonne (g/t) gold starting from 132 metres depth, highlighted by a 4-metre section grading 16.9 g/t gold. A further 8 metres at 1.57 g/t gold was intercepted just below this zone, underscoring the potential richness of the mineralisation.

This discovery is particularly notable given the area’s historical under-exploration. There has been no prior RC or diamond drilling within 1.6 kilometres of the Xmas Gold Discovery, marking it as a fresh frontier for gold exploration. The mineralisation appears hosted in mafic rocks, with geophysical data indicating five discrete gravity and magnetic targets in the vicinity. The success of the Xmas hole has significantly upgraded the prospectivity of four additional undrilled targets, all prospective for similar mafic-hosted gold mineralisation.

Strategic Context and Historical Comparisons

The Xmas Gold Discovery lies approximately 1.5 kilometres southwest of the Richard Gold Prospect, where historical drilling has returned noteworthy gold intercepts, including 5 metres at 7.15 g/t gold and 12 metres at 0.60 g/t gold. These earlier results had not been adequately followed up until Charger’s recent drilling campaign, which is now shedding new light on the area’s potential.

Charger’s Managing Director Bryan Dixon emphasised the scale of the soil anomaly underpinning the discovery, which spans roughly 1.8 by 1.7 kilometres. He highlighted the presence of coincident gravity and magnetic anomalies that define multiple targets, suggesting the possibility of a larger, yet-to-be-defined gold system concealed beneath transported cover. The company’s strategic retention of 100% ownership of the Lake Johnston Project further positions it to capitalize on these findings.

Next Steps and Exploration Outlook

With assays still pending for an additional 1,980 metres of drilling, Charger is poised to expand its exploration efforts. Plans are underway to extend hole CLGRC022 with a diamond tail to better understand the mineralisation’s depth and continuity. Complementary activities include comprehensive soil sampling across unassayed gold target areas and a high-resolution drone-based airborne geophysical survey designed to refine drill targets and optimize future hole placements.

The company is fully permitted to drill over 40 holes in the next phase, signaling an aggressive approach to delineating the resource potential. This expanded program will run in parallel with ongoing environmental permitting and regulatory approvals, underscoring Charger’s commitment to responsible and systematic exploration.

Broader Implications for the Lake Johnston Project

Beyond gold, the Lake Johnston Project is strategically important for its lithium potential, with spodumene-bearing pegmatites identified nearby. Charger’s collaboration with Rio Tinto Exploration Pty Limited under a farm-in agreement has already facilitated recent drilling activities, and the company’s ability to retain full ownership of the project enhances its leverage in this emerging battery metals hub.

As the Yilgarn Province continues to attract attention for both gold and lithium, Charger’s Xmas Gold Discovery adds a compelling new dimension to the project’s value proposition. The intersection of high-grade gold mineralisation with lithium prospects could position Lake Johnston as a multi-commodity exploration hotspot in the years ahead.