Catalina Resources Ltd (CTN.ASX) Significant Historic Gold Results Across Mid-West Portfolio
Catalina Resources Ltd (ASX:CTN) has completed a review of historical exploration data across its recently acquired Mid-West gold portfolio, confirming multiple significant gold, silver and copper results and advancing several projects towards drilling.
Highlights
- Review of historical datasets completed for Catalina's recently acquired Mid-West project portfolio which comprises Pithara, Kirkalocka, Tallering and Warriedar.
- Recent acquisition significantly increased expands Catalina's Western Australian gold footprint by adding to its existing gold projects which include Evanston, Yerilgee, Peak Hill, Deflector North, Big Bell and Boodanoo.
- Portfolio growth supported by successful $3.0 million capital raising.
- Pithara Project: Historical drilling returned high-grade gold results including:
o 5m @ 2.70g/t Au from 29m, including 1m @ 8.53g/t Au from 31m (DTR949)
o 7m @ 1.76g/t Au from 89m (PTRC008), 2m @ 2.45g/t Au from 8m, including 1m @ 3.51g/t Au from 8m (DTR1176); and
o 2m @ 1.74g/t Au from 4m, including 1m @ 3.48g/t Au from 4m (DTR1175).
- Kirkalocka Project: Historical drilling confirmed multiple gold mineralised zones including:
o 28m @ 1.09g/t Au from 57m including 1m @ 9.69g/t Au; and
o 21m @ 1.04g/t Au from 127m including 5m @ 2.30g/t Au.
- Tallering Project: Historical exploration identified significant gold, silver and copper mineralisation including 1m @ 90.3g/t Ag, 2.03% Cu and 0.89g/t Au, together with rock chip results of up to 101g/t Au.
- Peak Hill Project: Historical drilling intersected gold mineralisation including:
o 10m @ 1.43g/t Au from 65m, including 5m @ 2.70g/t Au from 65m; and
o 2m @ 1.37g/t Au including 1m @ 2.23g/t Au.
- Deflector North Project: Historical aircore drilling intersected 10m @ 3.21g/t Au from surface, with additional mineralised intercepts reported along at least 800m of strike.
- Field activities commenced with multiple priority targets advanced for drilling.
Catalina Resources Limited announced an update on the ongoing technical review of its recently expanded Mid-West gold portfolio.
Following the acquisition of a substantial portfolio of exploration assets across the Mid-West and the successful completion of a $3.0 million capital raising, Catalina has commenced a comprehensive review of historical drilling, geochemical, geological and geophysical datasets across its expanded project portfolio.
The review confirmed multiple occurrences of historical gold mineralisation across several project areas, reinforcing the prospectivity of Catalina's Mid-West portfolio. Importantly, the portfolio includes tenements immediately adjacent to the Kirkalocka Gold Mine (~240,000oz Au Mineral Resource) and near the 2Mtpa Kirkalocka Gold Processing Plant. The planned recommencement of the Kirkalocka processing hub by Gylden Resources in 2026 highlights increasing activity within the district and underscores the strategic value of Catalina's position within an emerging regional gold production centre.
The work is supporting target generation and prioritisation activities as Catalina advances towards the next phase of exploration across a portfolio that includes historical production, advanced exploration projects and multiple underexplored mineralised trends.
With funding secured and technical assessments well advanced, Catalina is progressing geological reviews, heritage assessments, land access activities and exploration planning.
Importantly, the portfolio benefits from extensive historical exploration datasets, providing an opportunity to apply modern exploration techniques and geological interpretations to identify and prioritise targets for future field activities and drilling.
Executive Director, Ross Cotton, commented:
"Since announcing the acquisition of the Mid-West portfolio on 14 May 2026, we have undertaken an extensive technical review of the substantial historical exploration database across the project areas. This work has involved the compilation, validation and assessment of a significant volume of historical drilling, geochemical and geological data, confirming our understanding of the portfolio and its exploration potential.
The review confirmed numerous significant gold intersections across multiple project areas. We are now advancing toward our maiden drilling programs across the Mid-West portfolio, with priority targets identified through the comprehensive review of historical exploration data.
We have moved rapidly since announcing the acquisition in May, leveraging the extensive historical database to accelerate target generation and position a number of compelling gold opportunities for drill testing."
Mid-West Portfolio Overview
The Mid-West Portfolio comprises a collection of strategically located gold projects situated within established mineral provinces of Western Australia (Figure 1*).
The projects host historical gold workings, documented mineralisation, extensive exploration datasets and multiple areas of known gold anomalism.
The review forms part of Catalina's broader approach of systematically assessing the portfolio to prioritise future exploration opportunities and maximise the value of the Company's recently acquired project holdings.
The historical exploration results reported in this announcement are sourced from multiple exploration programmes completed by previous operators across a number of project areas. Given the varying nature, distribution and density of the available historical datasets, the Company considers the combination of plan-view imagery, representative cross-sections where relevant, tabulated drill results and full collar details to provide an appropriate and balanced presentation of the reported exploration results. Cross-sectional interpretations have been included only where they materially assist the understanding of geological or geophysical relationships relevant to the reported results.
Pithara Project
The Pithara project is located within the Dalwallinu Greenstone Belt, the project includes the historical Pithara Gold Mine together with additional tenure near Bolgart, where historical exploration identified shallow high-grade gold mineralisation and multiple underexplored mineralised trends.
Granitoid and granite gneiss dominate the Pithara Project area. At the Pithara pit, gold mineralisation was associated with a 3-5 m thick amphibolite unit and an adjacent laminated quartz vein along its eastern contact. The vein (typically 1-3 m, up to 4 m thick) is the primary host, with minor lower-grade mineralisation in the surrounding granitoid and a small high-grade hanging wall lode locally present.
Historical discovery drilling at Pithara intersected high-grade gold mineralisation associated with a silica-biotite-pyrite alteration system beneath transported cover. Significant intercepts included 7m @ 21.8g/t Au including 2m @ 61.5g/t Au (PTA055), 4m @ 11.6g/t Au (PTA055) and 6m @ 4.93/t Au including 1m @ 16g/t Au (PTA012). Historical geological interpretations identified sulphide mineralisation continuing below the base of drilling (Figure 2), and mining of these intercepts confirmed the economic significance of the system.
As a consequence of the historical drilling the Pithara pit was mined by a private operator in 2011 producing ~9,000oz at 15.4g/t Au from a shallow open pit.
The mineralised system strikes north-northwest to south-southeast and dips steeply to the west-southwest (Figures 3 and 4*), locally becoming sub-vertical. It extends over approximately 45m of strike, terminating against a Proterozoic east-west dolerite dyke to the north and an interpreted fault to the south. Drilling north of the dyke has intersected anomalous gold associated with laminated quartz veining.
Additional amphibolite units have been intersected but are not associated with significant mineralisation. Regolith is relatively thin at the pit (fresh rock at ~15-20 m), with the mineralised vein locally extending to surface but difficult to identify in the upper weathered zone. Thicker regolith (up to ~40-50 m) occurs in the northwest prospect area.
Pithara Unmined Significant Historical Intercepts
Historical drilling completed by previous explorers identified several gold intersections beyond the limits of the Pithara pit area. These results relate to areas that were not subject to historical mining and will be considered as part of Catalina's ongoing review of the project and future exploration planning (Table 1*).
Kirkalocka
Located within the southern Wydgee-Meekatharra Greenstone Belt the project contains multiple historically identified gold targets associated with interpreted structural corridors and underexplored greenstone belt. The project sits along the eastern margin of the belt, directly adjacent to the Kirkalocka Gold Mine (~240,000oz Au Mineral Resource) and in proximity to the Kirkalocka Gold Processing Plant (2Mtpa), being advanced toward recommencement in 2026 by Gylden Resources Limited.
Gold mineralisation at Kirkalocka is interpreted to be structurally controlled and associated with fold closures, shear zones and granite-greenstone contacts within the Wydgee-Meekatharra Greenstone Belt. Mineralisation is primarily hosted within ferruginous saprolite developed over banded iron formation at the Highway Prospect, with additional occurrences in mafic and ultramafic units and along shear-hosted quartz veins.
Historic drilling has confirmed shallow gold mineralisation including 1m @ 23.08g/t Au (08KLRC033) 6m @ 1.38 g/t Au, including 3m @ 1.40 g/t Au (KKA795) and 6m @ 1.79 g/t Au, including 3m @ 3.02 g/t Au (KKA796), supported by widespread soil anomalism and rock chip sampling work indicating a broad, multi-lithology mineralised system with potential continuity into fresh bedrock.
Kirkalocka Significant Historical Intercepts (Table 2*).
Tallering
Comprising approximately 236 km2 and covering 30km of strike along the Tallering Greenstone Belt, the project is prospective for orogenic gold and VMS-style mineralisation. Historical exploration has identified multiple EM and IP anomalies, including coincident responses associated with gold, silver and copper mineralisation confirmed by drilling.
Gold mineralisation at the Santy Project is hosted within sub-cropping shear zones and quartz veining developed in felsic to intermediate metavolcanic rocks of the Tallering Greenstone Belt. Mineralised structures are interpreted to strike approximately 060deg, broadly parallel to lithological contacts.
Mineralisation is associated with gossanous quartz veins and shears, with sulphide assemblages including pyrite and minor chalcopyrite. Reported occurrences include disseminated visible gold in quartz veins and gossans. A Proterozoic dolerite/gabbro dyke, striking north-northeast to south-southwest, crosscuts the mineralised system and may offset mineralisation.
Historical exploration has identified zones of anomalous gold, including shallow drilling intercepts and surface rock chip results defining mineralised trends over several hectares.
Historical exploration at the Santy Well Prospect included aircore drilling completed by BPM Minerals (ASX:BPM) which defined a 2.2km-long gold anomaly at Santy. The anomaly is located on the Tallering Greenstone Belt and along strike from the historical A Zone Deposit2 (63,000oz Au at 2.1g/t Au) and Mixy Deposit (65,000oz Au at 4.3g/t Au), highlighting the prospectivity of the broader mineralised.
Historical RC drilling returned an intercept of 1m @ 0.89g/t Au, 90.3g/t Ag, 2.03% Cu and 0.19% Pb+Zn from 66m in hole SRC006, while drilling at Santy also returned gold mineralisation including 1m @ 2.18g/t Au from 87m in hole TARC008. Historical surface sampling returned high-grade gold values of up to 100.6g/t Au together with significant polymetallic results including 710g/t Ag, 7.04% Cu and 60.1% W, confirming the presence of gold and polymetallic mineralisation within the prospect area.
Subsequent geophysical exploration included Gradient Array Induced Polarisation (GAIP) and Moving Loop Electromagnetic (MLEM) surveys. The MLEM survey identified three bedrock conductors (Conductor A, B and C), providing three-dimensional definition of previously identified conductive zones and highlighting additional geophysical targets for follow-up exploration (Figures 6 and 7*).
Historical drilling across the Tallering Project demonstrates the presence of both precious and base metal mineralisation associated with geochemical and geophysical anomalies, supporting further evaluation of the project's gold and VMS potential.
Tallering Significant Historical Drilling Results
Historic rock chip sampling returned high-grade gold values of up to 100.6g/t Au at Santy, 38.6g/t Au at Santy South and 13.8g/t Au at Watkins, together with significant silver, copper and tungsten results.
When combined with the review of historical drilling and geophysical datasets, these results provide additional support for the prospectivity of the Tallering Project and reinforce the priority of several identified exploration targets.
Peak Hill
Comprising approximately 126 km2 within the Peak Hill Mineral Field of the Murchison Province, the Peak Hill Project contains numerous historical prospects and areas of documented gold mineralisation. Historical exploration across the project area has included geological mapping, geochemical sampling, airborne and ground geophysical surveys, and extensive drilling programmes completed by multiple operators. The project area straddles the boundary between the Narracoota and Ravelstone Formations of the Bryah Group and sediments of the Bangemall Basin.
Historical drilling completed within the Peak Hill Prospect identified several gold-mineralised intersections across the prospect area.
Deflector North
Comprising approximately 156 km2 within the Gullewa district of Western Australia, the Deflector Project is located adjacent to the Deflector Gold-Copper Mine and covers a largely underexplored portion of the regional mineralised corridor.
Historical exploration included geological assessment, geophysical interpretation, surface sampling and limited aircore drilling.
Historical drilling identified anomalous gold mineralisation, including broad near-surface mineralised intervals, while regional aeromagnetic data and historical exploration highlighted several areas considered prospective for follow-up exploration.
Historical work within the project area remains limited, with only a small number of drill holes completed across the tenure.
NEXT STEPS
Field activities have commenced, with site visits currently underway to ground truth historical data, validate outcomes from the desktop review, and support planning of future exploration activities. Heritage assessments are underway, and access agreements are being progressed with relevant pastoralists across the project areas.
Catalina anticipates completing, target prioritisation, field reconnaissance and drill planning within the coming weeks.
The Company will continue to update shareholders as exploration activities progress.
*To view tables and figures, please visit:
https://catalinaresources.com.au/announcements/7583121
Investors - Shareholders Ross Cotton Executive Director T: +61 (0)8 6165 8858
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