Momentum Building for Gorilla Gold at Comet Vale with Happy Jack Discovery and Resource Growth

Gorilla Gold Mines (ASX: GG8) has made a significant new shallow gold discovery at the Happy Jack prospect within its Comet Vale project north of Kalgoorlie.

The maiden drilling program returned standout grades including 21 metres at 11.6 grams per tonne gold from 23m, along with 7m at 3.4g/t gold from 72m on the main Happy Jack trend, and 12m at 1.1g/t gold from surface in a separate northern structure.

The company said the results reinforce the broader camp-scale potential at Comet Vale, where five rigs are now testing multiple prospects ahead of a resource update later this year.

Success Across Comet Vale

Happy Jack sits on a 10km structural corridor between the Lakeview discovery and the Sovereign prospect, both of which delivered high-grade results during 2025.

Gorilla first identified the Lakeview discovery in February, with thick intercepts on the King Kong lode confirming the presence of a substantial gold system, and subsequently entered into an option agreement to acquire the Happy Jack prospect in April.

Drilling at Lakeview in August extended the structure 100m down-dip, returning 11m at 5.5g/t gold from 366m and 1.3m at 18.2g/t gold from 383.5m.

At Cheer, another prospect along the Silverback trend, maiden diamond drilling returned 8.5m at 2.8g/t gold from 59.5m, providing data for the upcoming maiden resource estimate.

Bonanza Grades at Sovereign

At the Sovereign deposit, step-out drilling has uncovered some of the highest grades yet recorded at Comet Vale.

One hole returned 5m at 66.3g/t gold from 399m, located 80m down-dip of a historical intercept and 100m along strike.

Other recent results including 8.9m at 13.8g/t gold from 371.4m and 0.9m at 29.5g/t gold from 296m have significantly expanded the mineralised envelope.

Mr Hughes said the results represent “the best intercept ever returned from the Sovereign deposit” and that they have prompted a rethink of the geometry of the mineralisation, with high-grade shoots now believed to plunge moderately to the north.

Positive Metallurgical Test Work

Beyond drilling success, Gorilla Gold has also reported encouraging metallurgical test work from the Lakeview prospect.

Initial testing of a composite sample grading 4.8g/t gold achieved 97.5% total recovery, including 55% by gravity methods and 94.5% after just two hours of cyanide leaching.

Mr Hughes said the outcome confirms that gold at Lakeview can be recovered using conventional milling processes common across the Goldfields.

He further noted that this is “crucial for the upcoming maiden resource” scheduled for the fourth quarter.

Project-Wide Resource Growth

Comet Vale has a long history of high-grade production, with more than 200,000 ounces mined at an average grade of 20g/t. Sovereign has been the main contributor, hosting a current mineral resource estimate of 96,000oz at 4.8g/t gold.

Gorilla Gold has sought to leverage this foundation by pursuing a strategy of aggressive growth drilling across multiple prospects.

The program now involves five rigs — three diamond rigs at Lakeview and two reverse circulation rigs at Happy Jack, Cheer, Sovereign and Sovereign North.

The company said the combined results from Happy Jack, Sovereign, Lakeview and Cheer will feed into a project-wide mineral resource estimate planned for the December quarter.

Further Assays Due

The pipeline of results is expected to continue over coming weeks, with further assays due from all key prospects.

Gorilla is already planning follow-up reverse circulation drilling at Happy Jack, with the company prioritising the new parallel structure identified in hole HJEX005.

In parallel, metallurgical and permitting studies are advancing, including hydrogeology and hydrology work, to support longer-term development scenarios.

Mr Hughes said the scale of activity reflects Gorilla Gold’s confidence in the project.

“All of this work is geared towards delivering a project-wide mineral resource update next quarter, advancing our strategy of targeting high-grade gold at brownfields projects close to existing infrastructure and operating mills”.