WRX Drills Keystone for First Time in 80 Years Targeting High-Grade Silver
Key Takeaways
- Western Ridge Resources has commenced its maiden reverse circulation drilling program at the Keystone Project in Northern Nevada, the first modern drilling at the site in over 80 years.
- Two priority targets are being tested: the main lode area, where a rock chip returned 344g/t silver, and the northwest zone, where underground sampling returned up to 941g/t silver.
- Keystone has a documented production history of approximately 36,000 ounces of silver from roughly 1,500 tonnes mined between 1937 and 1943, meaning high-grade surface results sit above ground never tested at depth with modern methods.
- Assay results from ALS Laboratories in Reno are expected within approximately three weeks, with Phase 2 drilling already in preliminary planning and earthworks preparations targeted toward end of 2026.
- Managing Director Dr Matthew Cobb is on-site for the duration of the program, signalling hands-on management at what the company is treating as a project inflection point.
Maiden RC drilling under way at Keystone as WRX tests historic high-grade silver ground
Western Ridge Resources (ASX: WRX) has commenced its maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the Keystone Project in Northern Nevada, USA. Announced on 17 September 2026, this marks the first modern drilling program at Keystone in over 80 years, moving the company into modern drilling for the first time in over 80 years.
Managing Director Dr Matthew Cobb is on-site for the duration of the program, a clear signal of the priority placed on this milestone.
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What the drill program is targeting
The program is designed to test two priority areas, each supported by high-grade rock chip results from prior sampling.
- Main Keystone Mine lode and immediate surrounds: The program will test strike and depth extensions of the main lode and historic workings, following up on a rock chip sample that returned 344g/t silver adjacent to the main lode.
- Northwest area of the project: Underground sampling in this zone returned results of up to 941g/t silver, making it a second high-priority target for the drill program.
The announcement also references a result of 44.4g/t gold in its highlights, cited alongside the 941g/t silver figure. Both figures originate from the prior ASX announcement dated 7 July 2026, “Keystone Sampling Delivers Outstanding Results.” The gold and silver figures are distinct results and should not be conflated — the drill program is testing a silver-dominant polymetallic system.
Program design drew on geological mapping, historic plans, field reconnaissance, and structural modelling.
A mine with 80 years of silence — and significant historic production
Keystone is not greenfield ground. The mine produced approximately 36,000 ounces of silver from roughly 1,500 tonnes mined between 1937 and 1943, before operations ceased. Despite that production history, no modern drilling has been conducted until now.
That gap is significant. It means the high-grade surface results WRX has documented sit above ground that has never been tested with modern methods at depth.
Managing Director, Dr Matthew Cobb
“The first modern drilling program at Keystone is an important phase of the systematic exploration that we have been undertaking. Drilling will focus directly on the historic mine and its immediate surrounds, where the strongest geological evidence and several of our recent high-grade rock chip results are concentrated.
Historic records indicate that approximately 36,000 ounces of silver were produced from roughly 1,500 tonnes mined between 1937 and 1943, before operations ceased. Our recent work has strengthened the case for follow-up drilling, including 344g/t silver and up to 941g/t silver.
It has been more than 80 years for the first modern drilling at Keystone and we look forward to testing these targets beneath surface.”
What is reverse circulation drilling and why does it matter for investors?
RC drilling is a method that pushes a drill bit into the ground using compressed air, forcing rock chips back up through the drill rods to the surface. This produces a continuous sample of rock from each metre of hole drilled, giving geologists a direct look at the material underground rather than relying on what is exposed at the surface.
That distinction matters. Rock chip samples collected at surface are valuable for identifying where mineralisation appears, but they cannot tell you how deep it extends, how consistent it is, or what grade the material is underground. Drill results do all three.
For investors tracking WRX, this transition from sampling to drilling is the key escalation. Assay results from drill holes carry substantially more weight with the market than surface samples alone, because they test real ground rather than outcrop. A positive result at depth would shift Keystone from a conceptual target into a data-supported resource opportunity.
RC drilling is also well-suited to the type of vein-hosted, structurally controlled mineralisation found at Keystone, where the goal is to trace high-grade lodes downward from known surface expressions.
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What comes next — results, Phase 2, and the broader project timeline
The near-term newsflow from this program is well defined. The upcoming milestones, in order, are:
- Samples submitted to ALS Laboratories in Reno for analysis, with turnaround times expected to be approximately three weeks.
- Assay results incorporated into the working deposit model for Keystone.
- Preliminary planning for Phase 2 drilling updated as data becomes available.
- Earthworks preparations targeted toward the end of 2026.
Beyond the immediate drill program, the broader Keystone Project sampling results — covering areas outside the main mine area — offer additional upside to build on the initial Exploration Target. This positions Keystone as a multi-phase exploration story rather than a single campaign.
The combination of imminent assay results expected within roughly three weeks, a Phase 2 program already in preliminary planning, and the Managing Director on-site throughout drilling signals active, hands-on management of a project at an inflection point.
| Project | Location | Drilling Method | Key Sample Results | Next Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keystone Project | Northern Nevada, USA | Reverse Circulation (RC) | 344g/t silver (main lode area); up to 941g/t silver (northwest area); 44.4g/t gold (referenced in highlights) | Assay results from ALS Laboratories (~3 weeks); Phase 2 drilling planning update |
Sample results cited from ASX announcement dated 7 July 2026, “Keystone Sampling Delivers Outstanding Results.”
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