Barton Gold Reports Productive Quarter of Work across South Australian Portfolio

Barton Gold (ASX: BGD) (OTCQB: BGDFF) has reported a productive three months to the end of June focused on continued progress across its South Australian gold portfolio.

Drilling at the Challenger project confirmed new mineralisation grading up to 170 grams per tonne gold at the main historic pit and up to 60g/t gold at Challenger West, as well as the discovery of new open-pittable mineralisation at Challenger South-Southwest and the Challenger 3 targets.

A definitive feasibility study (DFS) targeting an initial four-year Stage 1 ‘baseline’ operation showed the existing Challenger mill to be suitable for recommissioning and will incorporate a mineral resource estimate update for the project.

Release of the DFS is expected during the first quarter of 2027.

Highest-Grade Assays

At the Tunkillia gold project, a Phase 2 upgrade drilling campaign returned the highest-grade assays to date from the Area 51 and southern Area 223 zones, indicating potential growth in resources, open pits, and mine life.

The reverse circulation component of the campaign was expanded to 40,000 metres during the quarter following analysis of Phase 1 and initial Phase 2 results, alongside a 3,000m dual-rig diamond drilling campaign.

Perth-based GR Engineering Services was appointed to lead the Tunkillia pre-feasibility study, which has been targeted for release around the same time as the Challenger DFS.

First assays from the Phase 2 program have broadly validated existing modelling, with some results significantly higher-grade than anticipated.

The company sees upside potential both within and along strike of this open-pit area.

Follow-Up Drilling

Results are pending from the 3,700m of follow-up drilling Barton completed at the emerging Tolmer high-grade silver discovery, targeting extensions to mineralisation after preliminary metallurgical trials yielded concentrates grading more than 100,000g/t (or 10%) silver from a simple gravity process.

The ability to produce high-grade concentrates could have potential implications for low-cost, high-margin operations if consistent for the mineralisation.

At end June, Barton had $31.9 million in cash, plus $4.5m in interest-bearing deposits posted as security for rehabilitation performance bond guarantee facilities.

The company spent $5.7m on exploration primarily focused on Tunkillia and Challenger resource upgrade drilling, feasibility programs, and analysis of the Tolmer discovery.

The quarter also saw Barton appoint Sylvia Rapo as its head of corporate affairs and sustainability, and increase its strategic diesel reserve to more than 250,000 litres—sufficient to meet all budgeted FY27 field programs and site requirements.