Javelin Minerals Drills 150m Into Untested Gold-Copper Target Below Existing Resource
Key Takeaways
- The first diamond hole targeting the Coogee North intrusive gold-copper system commenced on 2 September 2026 and is currently at 150m depth, progressing on schedule toward a target intersection zone starting at approximately 550m.
- Neither Coogee North nor Coogee West has ever been tested by deep drilling, making this a genuine first-pass test at a depth horizon that has never been directly sampled.
- The Coogee North magnetic anomaly sits directly beneath the existing JORC Mineral Resource of 3.65Mt at 1.08g/t Au for 126,685oz gold, with the intrusive potentially representing the source system driving shallow mineralisation.
- The two-hole program is co-funded by the WA Government's Exploration Incentive Scheme, reducing Javelin's capital outlay for holes planned to reach 800–1,000m total depth.
- Assay results from both holes — the primary catalyst — are expected within the 5–6 week program window and will represent the first direct evidence of whether the deep intrusive targets host significant gold-copper mineralisation.
Diamond drilling underway at Coogee’s major gold-copper intrusive target
Javelin Minerals (ASX: JAV) has confirmed the first diamond hole targeting the Coogee North intrusive gold-copper system is currently at 150m depth and drilling ahead on schedule. The hole commenced on 2 September 2026 at the company’s Coogee Gold-Copper Project, located 55km south-east of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
The program is a two-hole campaign designed to test both the Coogee North and Coogee West magnetic anomalies, neither of which has previously been tested by deep drilling.
Key fast facts
- Current hole depth: 150m and progressing on schedule
- Target zone: anticipated intersection at approximately 550m depth, continuing to ~800m
- Total planned hole depth: 800–1,000m per hole
- Program duration: 5–6 weeks in total to complete both holes
- Co-funded by the WA Government via the Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS)
- Drilling contractor: Westralian Diamond Drilling, Kalgoorlie
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What makes Coogee North and Coogee West significant targets
Both anomalies are large-scale magnetic targets associated with coincident gold-copper and gold anomalism identified in historic shallow drilling. The geological rationale for deep drilling is well-supported: the magnetite component to the alteration system at Coogee North links the shallow mineralisation to a deeper intrusive source, making a deep test warranted.
The geological work underpinning the Coogee West drill targets includes detailed geophysical modelling of the magnetic anomaly, which identified a discrete intrusive body consistent with the style of mineralising systems found across the broader Kalgoorlie region.
Coogee North is particularly notable because the anomaly sits directly below the majority of the existing Coogee North JORC Mineral Resource. The broader Coogee Gold Project resource, as of July 2024, stands at 3.6Mt at 1.08g/t Au for approximately 127,000 ounces of gold, with a separate copper resource of 1.0Mt at 0.41% Cu for 4,122 tonnes of copper.
⚠️ Note on JORC figures: The gold resource total drawn from the announcement’s Table 1 shows 3,654,831 tonnes at 1.08g/t for 126,685oz Au. The announcement text rounds this to 3.6Mt and 127,000oz. The copper resource total from Table 2 is 1,017,606 tonnes grading 4,103ppm Cu for 4,122t Cu, described in the announcement as 1.0Mt at 0.41% Cu. Figures above reflect the announcement’s stated summary.
The key points that make these targets compelling:
- Scale of anomaly: Both Coogee North and Coogee West present as large geophysical magnetic anomalies, indicating potentially significant intrusive bodies at depth.
- Proximity to existing resource: The Coogee North anomaly lies directly beneath the established JORC Mineral Resource, suggesting the intrusive could be the source system driving shallow mineralisation.
- Untested depth horizon: No deep drilling has previously been conducted to test the source of either modelled anomaly, making this a genuine first-pass test at a new depth level.
- Surface gold-copper signals: Both targets display coincident gold-copper anomalism from historic shallow drilling above the intrusive targets, which is a positive indicator for a deeper source.
| Resource | Tonnes | Grade Au (g/t) | Contained Au (oz) | Contained Cu (t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Resource (Jul 2024) | 3.65Mt | 1.08 | 126,685 | — |
| Copper Resource (Jul 2024) | 1.02Mt | — | — | 4,122 |
Understanding deep intrusive gold-copper systems
A magnetic intrusive target refers to a body of rock at depth that produces a measurable magnetic signature detectable from surface geophysical surveys. In gold-copper exploration, these bodies are significant because certain intrusive rock types are closely associated with large-scale mineralising systems. When surface drilling reveals gold and copper in the rocks above one of these magnetic bodies, it raises the question of whether the intrusive itself, or fluids associated with it, generated the mineralisation.
Deep diamond drilling (holes planned to 800–1,000m) is used rather than shallower reverse circulation (RC) drilling because diamond drilling recovers a continuous core of rock, allowing geologists to examine the actual rock types and alteration at depth in detail. RC drilling, which uses compressed air to return rock chips to surface, is better suited to shallower targets where a core sample is not required. Testing a modelled anomaly at 550m and below requires the precision and recovery quality that only diamond core drilling can provide.
The coincident gold and copper anomalism identified in shallow drilling above both targets acts as a surface indicator that a mineralising system may be present. Finding both metals together at surface increases the likelihood that a larger intrusive source lies beneath.
The EIS is a WA Government programme that co-funds eligible exploration drilling by junior companies. For investors, this is meaningful: it reduces the cash outlay Javelin bears for this program, lowering the cost risk of testing a deep, high-priority target.
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Next steps and what investors should watch for
The program is scheduled to take 5–6 weeks in total to complete both the Coogee North and Coogee West holes. No assay results have been reported yet; the investment case at this stage rests on the outcome of these first-ever deep tests of the modelled anomalies.
Key milestones to monitor:
- Intersection of the Coogee North magnetic anomaly, anticipated from approximately 550m depth and continuing to around 800m
- Completion of the Coogee North hole to its planned total depth of 800–1,000m
- Commencement and completion of the Coogee West hole, the second hole in the same program
- Assay results from both holes, which will represent the first direct evidence of whether the deep intrusive targets host significant gold-copper mineralisation at depth
Successful intersection of mineralisation within the modelled anomaly zones could materially change the understanding of the Coogee system’s scale at depth, potentially extending the footprint of the existing resource beneath its current limits.
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