Maronan Metals Hits 20m at 0.83% Cu-Au North of Existing Resource
Key Takeaways
- Drill holes MRN26004 and MRN26008 have confirmed copper-gold mineralisation north of the 2025 Indicated resource, with the best single intercept returning 20.0m at 0.83% Cu and 0.42g/t Au from 257m depth.
- The existing Maronan copper-gold resource stands at 32 Mt grading 0.85% Cu, 0.63g/t Au, and 7g/t Ag — these new results target extensions to that base, not just infill of known ground.
- Both holes also hit Eastern Horizon silver-lead mineralisation as secondary intercepts, including 0.9m at 10.6% Pb and 282g/t Ag, reinforcing the multi-commodity nature of the deposit.
- A novel copper intercept of 4.0m at 0.96% Cu associated with massive pyrrhotite was returned at a position where copper has not previously been intersected — the company has flagged further drilling is required to assess its significance.
- Only 14,000 of a planned 40,000 metres have been drilled in the 2026 campaign, with 28 holes currently awaiting assay results — the result pipeline is substantial.
Drilling confirms copper-gold mineralisation extends north of existing resource
Two new drill holes have confirmed strong shallow copper-gold mineralisation north of the 2025 Indicated copper-gold resource at Maronan Metals’ Maronan Project, potentially adding to the Starter Zone’s shallow resource base. The results are early-stage progress within a much larger program: 14,000 metres of a planned 40,000-metre 2026 drilling campaign have been completed, with significant results still to come.
For context, the existing 2025 Copper-Gold Resource stands at an Inferred plus Indicated total of 32 Mt @ 0.85% Cu, 0.63g/t Au, 7g/t Ag (ASX MMA 6/6/2025, amended). These new intercepts reinforce copper-gold as a meaningful contributor to overall project value alongside the better-known silver-lead resource.
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Headline results — what the drill holes returned
Holes MRN26004 and MRN26008 both successfully intersected the modelled copper-gold mineralisation north of the 2025 Indicated resource. The headline intercepts from each are set out below.
MRN26004 (Copper-Gold Zone):
- 8.9m (7.6m etw) at 1.03% Cu, 0.61g/t Au from 297.1m (includes 1.4m core loss)
- 10.0m (8.5m etw) at 0.73% Cu, 0.33g/t Au, 0.8% Pb, 7g/t Ag from 315m
- 12.0m (10.3m etw) at 0.86% Cu, 0.88g/t Au from 339m (includes 0.2m core loss)
MRN26008 (Copper-Gold Zone):
- 20.0m (17.4m etw) at 0.83% Cu, 0.42g/t Au from 257m, including 4.5m (3.9m etw) at 1.50% Cu, 0.68g/t Au from 268.2m
- 14.0m (12.3m etw) at 0.60% Cu, 0.11g/t Au from 297m
Both holes also intercepted Eastern Horizon silver-lead mineralisation as bonus hits in the footwall, adding further upside potential without being the primary focus:
- MRN26004: 4.0m (3.5m etw) at 4.4% Pb, 107g/t Ag from 432.57m
- MRN26008: 0.9m (0.8m etw) at 10.6% Pb, 282g/t Ag from 345m; 0.7m (0.6m etw) at 9.0% Pb, 151g/t Ag from 372.33m
One result in MRN26008 warrants separate attention. A deeper copper intercept of 4.0m (3.5m etw) at 0.96% Cu from 356m was associated with a zone of massive pyrrhotite, a position where copper has not been intersected previously. The company has stated that further drilling is required to understand the significance of this interval, and investors should note it is genuinely novel without reading more into it at this stage.
Richard Carlton, Managing Director
“We talk a lot about how good the Silver-Lead resource is at Maronan, but we also have a substantial copper-gold resource that contributes significant value to the project. These infill holes stepping out to the north of our existing indicated copper resource reinforce that copper will be an important part of the Maronan project.”
Results at a glance — key intercepts table
| Hole ID | From (m) | Intercept (m) | True Width (m) | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRN26004 | 297.1 | 8.9 | 7.6 | 1.03% Cu, 0.61g/t Au |
| MRN26004 | 315 | 10.0 | 8.5 | 0.73% Cu, 0.33g/t Au |
| MRN26004 | 339 | 12.0 | 10.3 | 0.86% Cu, 0.88g/t Au |
| MRN26008 | 257 | 20.0 | 17.4 | 0.83% Cu, 0.42g/t Au |
| MRN26008 | 268.2 | 4.5 (inc.) | 3.9 | 1.50% Cu, 0.68g/t Au |
| MRN26008 | 297 | 14.0 | 12.3 | 0.60% Cu, 0.11g/t Au |
Long section and cross section views of the drill results relative to the existing resource are included in the announcement (Figure 1 and Figure 7). All intercept grades and widths in this article are sourced directly from Table 2 in the announcement body.
Understanding copper-gold mineralisation and why it matters for investors
If you follow ASX mining stocks but don’t have a geological background, a few terms in this announcement are worth understanding clearly.
Indicated vs Inferred Mineral Resource: These are confidence classifications under the JORC Code, the industry standard for Australian resource reporting. An Indicated Resource carries higher geological confidence, meaning the data is sufficiently detailed to support engineering studies such as a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS). An Inferred Resource carries lower confidence and requires additional drilling before it can underpin that kind of technical work. Converting Inferred tonnes to Indicated is therefore a prerequisite for advancing a project through feasibility, and is one of Maronan’s core drilling objectives for 2026.
Starter Zone: This refers to the portion of a mineral deposit expected to be mined first, typically the most economically attractive and accessible area. Extending and upgrading the resource within the Starter Zone is how a company builds confidence in the early years of a potential mine’s production profile.
Estimated True Width (etw): Drill holes rarely intersect a mineralised zone at a perfect right angle. The raw downhole intercept length can therefore overstate how thick the mineralised zone actually is. Estimated true width corrects for this geometry, giving a more accurate measure of the mineralisation’s genuine thickness. In these results, the etw conversion factor is 85% for both holes, meaning the true widths are meaningfully representative of the downhole lengths reported.
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Program progress and the path toward a pre-feasibility study
With 14,000 metres completed of a planned 40,000-metre program, Maronan’s 2026 drilling campaign is well underway but still has substantial work ahead. As at this announcement, 28 holes have assays pending, which represents a strong pipeline of upcoming results that could continue to build the resource picture.
The company is currently completing a PFS-level study on the Maronan Project. The improved resource confidence from infill drilling directly supports that process, with the key upcoming drilling priorities focused on:
- Converting Inferred Mineral Resources to Indicated in support of a robust pre-feasibility study
- Targeting shallow under-drilled areas north of the Starter Zone
- Drilling proximal to the location of a potential exploration decline
There is also meaningful resource growth potential beyond the current boundaries. Both the Eastern and Western Horizon Pb-Ag domains remain open down-plunge and require additional drilling to increase confidence, while the Copper-Gold resource is also open down-plunge with further infill drilling required to upgrade that material from Inferred to Indicated.
Shallow silver-lead drilling at the Starter Zone has also been advancing in parallel, with the Eastern Horizon Pb-Ag domain representing a distinct but complementary resource base that remains open down-plunge.
The Maronan Project is located in the Cloncurry region of northwest Queensland, an established mineral province with a long history of production. Further assay results will be reported as they come to hand.
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