Lac Gold Hits 11.17g/t Gold at Astoria as Resource Update Drilling Builds Momentum
Key Takeaways
- Lac Gold reported 20 new diamond drillholes from the Astoria deposit at its 100%-owned Rouyn Gold Project, with standout intercepts of 7.5m @ 11.17g/t Au, 2.0m @ 17.08g/t Au, and 2.9m @ 10.78g/t Au.
- Broad mineralised envelopes — including 86.0m @ 1.12g/t Au and 86.6m @ 0.59g/t Au — confirm the Astoria system is larger and more continuous than historically interpreted.
- The existing Rouyn Mineral Resource Estimate stands at 1.66Moz gold @ 3.28g/t Au (Indicated and Inferred), with the 2026 drilling program feeding a planned resource update.
- 11 holes totalling 4,215m remain at the laboratory, representing additional near-term assay catalysts before the resource update is finalised.
- Management has signalled intent to expand drilling beyond Astoria into other areas of the broader Rouyn Gold Project, adding district-scale exploration optionality.
Lac Gold’s Rouyn drilling delivers 11.17g/t gold hits as Astoria system keeps growing
Lac Gold (ASX: LAC) has reported strong assays from a further 20 diamond drillholes (AS-26-799 to AS-26-818) at the Astoria deposit, part of its 100%-owned Rouyn Gold Project in Québec, Canada. The latest batch includes standout intercepts of 7.5m @ 11.17g/t Au (AS-26-808), 2.0m @ 17.08g/t Au (AS-26-804), and 2.9m @ 10.78g/t Au (AS-26-802). These results demonstrate growing scale and continuity of the mineralised system, feeding into a planned Mineral Resource Estimate update for the project’s existing 1.66Moz gold @ 3.28g/t Au resource.
Each round of drilling builds resource confidence and generates steady news flow for investors tracking the company’s progression toward a resource update.
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High-grade hits headline the latest Astoria results
The latest results continue a recurring pattern: broad mineralised zones surrounding higher-grade cores. This relationship has been repeated across multiple holes throughout the 2026 program, building confidence in the geological model and demonstrating that the Astoria system is both larger and more continuous than historically interpreted.
Broad mineralised intervals including 86.0m @ 1.12g/t Au in AS-26-806, 86.6m @ 0.59g/t Au in AS-26-801, and 46.5m @ 1.99g/t Au in AS-26-808 contain materially higher-grade internal zones. This architecture — extensive alteration envelopes hosting discrete high-grade shoots — is characteristic of orogenic gold systems developed along major structural corridors.
| Hole ID | Significant Intersection | Broad Mineralised Envelope |
|---|---|---|
| AS-26-808 | 7.5m @ 11.17g/t Au | 46.5m from 21.0m |
| AS-26-806 | 8.0m @ 5.12g/t Au | 86.0m @ 1.12g/t from 12.0m |
| AS-26-804 | 2.0m @ 17.08g/t Au | 11.5m from 245.7m |
| AS-26-802 | 2.9m @ 10.78g/t Au | 20.0m from 126.0m |
| AS-26-817 | 5.1m @ 5.46g/t Au | 11.5m from 171.5m |
| AS-26-801 | 10.0m @ 3.05g/t Au | 86.6m @ 0.59g/t from 273.2m |
Note: Intersections expressed as downhole lengths; true widths are unknown at this stage.
Andrew Stocks, Managing Director
“This is another strong set of drilling results from Astoria. These results continue the pattern we have seen throughout this year’s program of broad zones of gold mineralisation surrounding higher-grade cores, with the drilling continuing to build our confidence in the continuity of the mineralised system.”
How orogenic gold systems work — and why Astoria’s structure matters
An orogenic gold system forms when hot, mineral-rich fluids migrate through crustal-scale fault zones during tectonic events, depositing gold in structurally favourable locations. The Cadillac-Larder Lake Break — the major structural corridor hosting Astoria — is one of the most significant gold-producing fault systems in the Abitibi gold region of Québec and Ontario, responsible for deposits that have collectively produced tens of millions of ounces historically.
At Astoria, the mineralised system comprises two complementary components:
- Broad shear-hosted hydrothermal alteration envelopes: These zones are characterised by pervasive quartz-carbonate veining, alteration, and disseminated sulphide mineralisation. They define the overall scale of the mineralised system and provide the geological architecture within which higher-grade gold occurs.
- Higher-grade gold zones: These occur within the broader envelopes at favourable structural settings — localised brittle structural zones, lithological flexures, and areas where diabase dykes intersect the mineralised horizon. These are the zones that drive economic outcomes.
Understanding this architecture lets Lac Gold target extensions more effectively and efficiently — de-risking future drilling and lowering discovery cost. The company’s evolving structural interpretation is being used to refine targeting for the next phase of exploration.
Building toward a bigger resource
The existing Mineral Resource Estimate for the Rouyn Gold Project comprises 1.66Moz gold @ 3.28g/t Au (Indicated & Inferred), announced on 10 October 2025. The 2026 drilling program is targeting internal extensions and offshoots within the existing resource footprint, higher-grade shoots not adequately defined by historical drilling, and broader alteration envelopes than previously interpreted.
Importantly, the program is also providing additional infill information to improve resource geometry and geological confidence. This may support future conversion of Inferred resources to the Indicated category — a critical step in advancing the project toward development studies.
The latest results will be incorporated with earlier 2026 drilling, historical drilling, and the company’s evolving geological interpretation as part of the planned update to the Rouyn Mineral Resource Estimate.
| Classification | Tonnage (Mt) | Gold (g/t) | Gold Ounces (koz) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Indicated | 9.2 | 3.30 | 976 |
| Total Inferred | 6.6 | 3.24 | 690 |
| Total Resource | 15.8 | 3.28 | 1,666 |
Note: Due to effects of rounding, totals may not represent the sum of all components.
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Drilling momentum and the next phase
The 2026 drilling program remains active, with assays still pending on multiple holes. As of the current status update, the program has delivered:
- 64 holes drilled (24,730m)
- 56 holes logged (20,519m)
- 43 holes with assays received (15,260m)
- 11 holes still at laboratory (4,215m)
This means assays are still pending on a further 11 holes — representing additional catalysts ahead for investors tracking the resource development pathway.
Drilling continues at Astoria on the eastern corridor. In parallel, Lac Gold has commenced reviewing opportunities to expand drilling into other areas of the broader Rouyn Gold Project, using the improved geological understanding developed through the 2026 program to identify and prioritise additional targets.
The investment thesis is straightforward: growing scale, demonstrated continuity, a clear pathway to a resource update, and expansion optionality across a district-scale landholding in one of Canada’s most productive gold regions.
Andrew Stocks, Managing Director
“There is still immense opportunity to keep growing the known mineralisation at Astoria and we will continue to drill, generating steady news flow. At the same time, our growing understanding of the Rouyn Project is giving us the confidence to begin looking beyond Astoria and consider where else we should be targeting.”
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