ECR Minerals plc (AIM: ECR), the exploration and development company focused on gold in Australia, is pleased to report a highly encouraging set of alluvial drilling results from its Blue Mountain Project (“Blue Mountain”) in Central Queensland. These drilling results continue to strengthen the case for near-term, low-cost alluvial gold production, with the drilling results confirming visible coarse gold and the expansion of multiple unmined gold-bearing creek flats.
Highlights
· Visible coarse gold recorded in multiple drill samples from the newly identified Upper Kariboe Creek alluvial flat.
· Continuity of mineralisation now mapped across approximately 250 metres of strike, with widths ranging from 6 to 35 metres.
· Grades exceeding the 0.15 g/b.c.m cut-off returned via 19 intersections, including standout results up to 6.52 g/b.c.m, typically indicating the presence of nuggety near-source gold.
· Wash-plant trial work at the Lower Patterson area continues to demonstrate practical mining grades averaging 0.35g/b.c.m, considered favourable to grades in operating alluvial mines across North Queensland.
· Multiple areas now identified as potential start-up gold production zones, including Lower Patterson, Upper Kariboe, Windmill and Roan Colt.
ECR’s Chief Geologist, Adam Jones, commented: “These are some of the most encouraging alluvial results we’ve seen from Blue Mountain to date. Not only have we mapped a continuous gold-bearing corridor across the new Upper Kariboe Creek flat, we are now also consistently seeing visible coarse gold in multiple samples. That is always an exciting moment for a geologist, as coarse, nuggety particles typically indicate that you are close to the source and that the system has real strength.
“Our drilling has delivered far more than we initially expected. We set out to understand the gold trail and the host gravels, but the results are now giving us a clear picture of multiple unmined zones that have the potentiual to translate into a near-term alluvial production opportunity. The combination of strong drill grades, visible gold and the successful wash-plant trials at Lower Patterson is building genuine confidence that Blue Mountain has the scale and quality to support a commercially viable start-up operation.”
Summary of Drilling Program
A total of 264 shallow drill holes were completed in August 2025 across the Upper Kariboe and Denny Gully areas. The objective was to identify shallow, mineable alluvial gold deposits suitable for cost-efficient production.
Each hole was drilled from surface to bedrock, with samples collected every metre and assessed for gold content, material type and the presence of visible gold. Concentrated gravel samples were fire-assayed at On-Site Laboratory Services in Bendigo, and gold recovered was used to estimate grammes of gold per bank cubic metre (b.c.m) – which is considered to be the industry standard measure for alluvial mining viability.
Inevitably, gold particle size and distribution varies in alluvial systems, but the drilling campaign has provided a clear, reliable picture of the gold trail, allowing ECR to identify high-priority potential production zones with growing confidence.
Latest Drill Results
These results come from a previously untested, unmined creek flat at Upper Kariboe Creek (See Table 1 and Figure 1). This area is now emerging as one of the strongest alluvial targets in the project to date and, as a consequence, represents a further potential extension of the potential production zones in the project area.
Key outcomes:
· 19 samples above the 0.15 g/b.c.m cut-off, ranging from 0.16 g/b.c.m up to 6.52 g/b.c.m
· Multiple high-grade intersections contain coarse, nuggety gold, suggesting proximity to a primary source
· Mineralisation appears to form a continuous, mineable corridor approximately 230 metres long, with widths between 6 – 35 metres
· This is the first area where ECR has confirmed larger visible gold particles, representing a significant step forward in confidence
Table 1. Alluvial Drill Results for Significant Intercepts and Depths of Zones Tested (@ cut off => 0.15 g/b.c.m)
|
Traverse |
HOLE |
FROM (metres) |
TO (metres) |
DRILLING INTERVAL (metres) |
SAMPLEID |
Au (ppm) |
Au (mg) |
Estimated average grade of mineralisation grammes per b.c.m |
|
Section 28 |
S28H5 |
6 |
7 |
1 |
BMDC328 |
1600 |
67.7 |
6.52 |
|
Section 29 |
S29H6 |
6 |
7 |
1 |
BMDC357 |
2380 |
58.7 |
5.65 |
|
Section 27 |
S27H12 |
6 |
7 |
1 |
BMDC312 |
1630 |
40.5 |
3.90 |
|
Section 27 |
S27H1 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
BMDC374 |
1170 |
33.1 |
3.19 |
|
Section 33 |
S33H2 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
BMDC398 |
894 |
27.8 |
2.68 |
|
Section 29 |
S29H5 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
BMDC353 |
835 |
26.9 |
2.59 |
|
Section 27 |
S27H4 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
BMDC383 |
696 |
13.3 |
1.28 |
|
Section 29 |
S29H7 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
BMDC360 |
334 |
12.5 |
1.20 |
|
Section 31 |
S31H2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
BMDC431 |
344 |
11.8 |
1.14 |
|
Section 32 |
S32H1 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
BMDC461 |
188 |
7.02 |
0.68 |
|
Section 27 |
S27H3 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
BMDC380 |
442 |
6.76 |
0.65 |
|
Section 30 |
S30H5 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
BMDC417 |
136 |
5.51 |
0.53 |
|
Section 29 |
S29H8 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
BMDC363 |
88.1 |
3.95 |
0.38 |
|
Section 29 |
S29H10 |
6 |
7 |
1 |
BMDC369 |
103 |
3.5 |
0.34 |
|
Section 33 |
S33H5 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
BMDC407 |
108 |
3 |
0.29 |
|
Section 32 |
S32H5 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
BMDC476 |
53.1 |
2.39 |
0.23 |
|
Section 27 |
S27H11 |
6 |
7 |
1 |
BMDC309 |
116 |
2.1 |
0.20 |
|
Section 33 |
S33H1 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
BMDC395 |
60.9 |
1.68 |
0.16 |
|
Section 28 |
S28H4 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
BMDC323 |
47.7 |
1.66 |
0.16 |
Figure 1. Overview of Target Areas, Blue Mountain, EPM27183.
Wash Plant Trials (Lower Patterson)
To validate drill grades under more real-world conditions, four bulk samples were run through a trial wash plant at Lower Patterson (See Table 2 and Figure 2). These tests simulated future production and confirmed highly recoverable gold values.
Key results:
· Average trial grade: 0.35 g/b.c.m
· Consistent recovery across all samples, including those taken from drill-defined zones
· Coarse gold observed during processing
· Trial grades are considered favourable to third-party established alluvial operations currently running across North Queensland
Taken together, the drilling and wash-plant outcomes reinforce Lower Patterson as a commercially attractive start-up mining area, with potential for near-term development.
Table 2. Trial Wash Plant Results from the Lower Patterson Area (Locations referenced in Figure 1).
|
Location |
Volume Processed (b.c.m) |
Recovered Gold (grams) |
Estimated Grade Wash Plant Trial (Au/b.c.m) |
Indicated Drill Grade (Au/b.c.m) |
|
A |
1.25 |
0.52 |
0.42 |
N/A |
|
B |
1.0 |
0.49 |
0.49 |
N/A |
|
C (Section 1 Hole 1) |
1.0 |
0.23 |
0.23 |
1.14 |
|
D (Section 1 Hole 10) |
1.0 |
0.26 |
0.26 |
0.49 |
|
TOTAL |
4.25 |
1.5 |
0.35 (Average trial grade) |
|
Figure 2. Coarse gold particle size, Lower Patterson Area.
Peripheral Drilling – Expansion of Target Area
Drill traverses at Windmill, Roan Colt and upper Dennys Gully have been completed, with further assay results pending in due course. Visible gold was noted during the preparation of several samples, and management anticipates that these areas may further increase the overall footprint with potential for near-term development. Of particular significance is drilling west of the original Lower Patterson flat.
Many of these peripheral areas show no evidence of historic mining, meaning ECR is the first to systematically test and map their gold potential.
Review of Announcement by Qualified Person
This announcement has been reviewed by Adam Jones, Chief Geologist at ECR Minerals Plc. Adam Jones is a professional geologist and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG). He is a qualified person as that term is defined by the AIM Note for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies.
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