- 01Recharge begins up to 30,000m drilling at Sunset Well.
- 02Campaign targets extensions to Prospero’s 94,500oz resource and deeper lodes.
- 03A 10,000m aircore program will test the wider trend.
Recharge Metals (ASX: REC) has started drilling at its Sunset Well gold project near Leonora in Western Australia, initiating a planned exploration campaign of up to 30,000 metres designed to expand the existing Prospero gold resource and test the surrounding trend.
The first reverse circulation holes are targeting shallow extensions of interpreted high-grade lodes at Prospero, where drilling has not been undertaken since 1996.
Rather than simply repeat earlier shallow drilling, Recharge plans to use the new results to refine those interpreted lodes and determine where additional mineralisation may lie.
The deposit contains an Inferred Mineral Resource of 2.87 million tonnes grading 1.0 grams per tonne gold for 94,500 ounces, with mineralisation extending from surface.
Beyond that established resource, Recharge has allocated another 10,000m of aircore drilling to investigate gold anomalies along the greater Prospero Trend, with work expected to begin in November.
Old Resource Gets New Test
The campaign marks the first modern attempt to determine how far Prospero’s mineralisation extends, particularly beneath a shallow historical drilling footprint that has left its deeper potential largely unresolved.
Only three holes have penetrated below 100m vertical depth, despite mineralisation being identified across more than one kilometre at surface and the deposit remaining open along strike and at depth.
Historical intersections included 36m at 2.73g/t gold from 32m, including 16m at 5.39g/t, providing a starting point for the company’s interpretation of higher-grade lodes.
“Drilling is underway at Prospero, marking a major milestone for Recharge following six months of preparation,” chief executive officer Luke Timmermans said.
“Our 30,000m drilling program will test extensions to the interpreted high-grade lodes, target growth of the shallow resources, and investigate the broader Prospero Trend—we’re excited to have the rig turning and look forward to sharing results as the program progresses.”
Results to Shape Second Phase
Of the 20,000m of RC and diamond drilling earmarked for the deposit, the opening phase comprises 5,000m to 8,000m scheduled for completion before the end of 2026.
That work will initially test shallow mineralisation above 300m vertical depth, which Recharge considers potentially suitable for future open pit development if exploration supports it.
Drill spacing will be relatively broad at about 100m by 50m, allowing the company to assess the extent of mineralisation before committing to more closely spaced drilling.
Assays from this first phase will guide a further 12,000m to 15,000m of combined RC and diamond drilling from the first quarter of 2027, planned on roughly 50m by 50m spacing.
Wider Discovery Scope
While the deposit program focuses on resource growth, the planned AC campaign will examine whether the gold system extends into other parts of the Prospero Trend that have seen little effective follow-up.
Much of the historical rotary air blast drilling along the trend averaged just 47m deep and failed to reach fresh rock, leaving parts of the weathered profile inadequately tested.
The earlier work nevertheless identified multiple gold anomalies, including a 27m interval at 1.12g/t gold from 8m that contained 8m at 2.52g/t.
By drilling into fresh rock and collecting modern gold and multielement data, Recharge aims to turn those anomalies into targets for subsequent RC drilling beyond the existing deposit.
Acquired earlier this year, Sunset Well covers more than 180 sq km of tenements and applications about 10km east of Leonora, with the broader project also containing the Flanders and Portia shear zones identified by earlier explorers.
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