Alligator Energy Extends Samphire Trend 1km South Toward 2027 Resource Update
Key Takeaways
- Alligator found uranium mineralisation above the 250ppm cut-off about 1 km south of its previous southernmost hole at Blackbush, with mineralisation still open at both ends.
- Holes BBRM26-590 and BBRM26-592, 100 m apart, returned 5.2 m at 1,498ppm and 6.6 m at 1,245ppm eU₃O₈, with GTs of 7,820 and 8,214 m.ppm.
- Plumbush infill drilling is tightening spacing from about 200 m x 400 m to 100 m x 100 m to convert Inferred resources to Indicated, with BBRM26-534 hitting 2.4 m at 4,370ppm.
- The roughly 300-hole Growth Strategy is just over one third complete, with 91 holes and more than 9,000 m drilled since 28 July and two rigs running to late Q4 2026.
- A Samphire Mineral Resource update is scheduled for Q1/Q2 2027, though grades are gamma-log estimates and sonic core assays are still pending.
Drilling extends Samphire mineralisation a further 1 km south of Blackbush
In its 7 October 2026 exploration update, Alligator Energy (ASX: AGE) reported new uranium mineralisation above a 250ppm eU₃O₈ cut-off, approximately 1 km south of the previously southernmost known mineralised drill hole at the Blackbush deposit, part of the Samphire Uranium Project. The company said mineralisation remains open at both ends of the newly tested trend.
Two adjacent holes, spaced approximately 100 m apart, both returned mineralisation above cut-off. That points to continuity rather than a single isolated hit.
The scale of work behind the result is considerable. More than 9,000 m of drilling across 91 holes has been completed since the company’s 28 July 2026 update.
For an in-situ recovery (ISR) project, where uranium is dissolved and pumped from the ground rather than mined conventionally, the key question is how much of the channel is mineralised above cut-off. A wider footprint supports the case for a larger resource, although follow-up drilling is still needed.
Andrea Marsland-Smith, CEO and Managing Director
“…South of Blackbush, holes BBRM26-590 and BBRM26-592 intersected mineralisation above cut-off a kilometre beyond our previous drilling. This is an exciting step-out and provides further evidence of the potential scale of the mineralised system south of Blackbush.”
The headline intercepts were:
- BBRM26-590: 5.2 m at 0.15% (1,498ppm) eU₃O₈ from 64.7 m (GT 7,820m.ppm)
- BBRM26-592: 6.6 m at 0.12% (1,245ppm) eU₃O₈ from 62.7 m (GT 8,214m.ppm)
All widths are downhole widths. The grades are equivalent uranium (eU₃O₈) derived from calibrated downhole natural gamma logging, not chemical assays.
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Blackbush extension and the Blackbush-Plumbush corridor
Building on the July step-out
The 28 July 2026 release reported mineralisation approximately 600 m south of earlier drilling, following access secured through the Option to acquire the Mullaquana Crown Lease. The latest results extend the interpreted mineralised trend into additional ground south of Blackbush.
The distribution of intersections is interpreted to indicate a southerly continuation of the Blackbush mineralised trend. Follow-up drilling is required to determine continuity between the intersections and to define the limits of mineralisation.
Southern extension intercepts
Significant intercepts in the extension include five holes, with BBRM26-587 standing out at 2.2 m at 0.23% (2,277ppm).
| Hole | Width | Grade eU₃O₈ (ppm) | From (m) | GT m.ppm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBRM26-575 | **1.0 m** | **1,347** | **51.2** | **1,374** |
| BBRM26-580 | **3.2 m** | **1,286** | **61.0** | **4,102** |
| BBRM26-587 | **2.2 m** | **2,277** | **57.1** | **4,964** |
| BBRM26-590 | **5.2 m** | **1,498** | **64.7** | **7,820** |
| BBRM26-592 | **6.6 m** | **1,245** | **62.7** | **8,214** |
GT (grade multiplied by thickness) combines how thick and how rich an intercept is, so a thicker moderate-grade hit can outrank a thin richer one. That is why BBRM26-592 posts the highest GT here despite a lower grade than BBRM26-587.
Plumbush infill drilling and how in-situ recovery resource drilling works
Plumbush results
Plumbush is located approximately 5 km south of Blackbush. Infill drilling aims to progressively reduce historical spacing from approximately 200 m x 400 m to 100 m x 100 m, with the aim of converting the Inferred Mineral Resource to the Indicated category.
Further drilling to between 25 m x 25 m and 50 m x 50 m in the most prospective areas is planned for future programs.
Results are consistent with the recent Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate, which was generated exclusively from historic data. This is the first modern drilling undertaken by Alligator at Plumbush.
Modern geophysical tools have further delineated the primary palaeochannel (an ancient buried river channel that hosts the uranium), including coarser basal sands similar to those hosting higher grade mineralisation at Blackbush.
Key intercepts include:
- BBRM26-534: 2.4 m at 0.44% (4,370ppm) eU₃O₈ from 64.6 m (GT 10,662m.ppm)
- BBRM26-565: 6.5 m at 0.11% (1,091ppm) eU₃O₈ from 66.7 m (GT 7,100m.ppm)
- BBRM26-519: 2.3 m at 0.15% (1,479ppm) eU₃O₈ from 67.8 m (GT 3,387m.ppm)
BBS26-015 and BBS26-016 are sonic holes drilled by Star Drilling. Their reported grades come from downhole gamma logging using the same probe as the rotary mud holes.
Why drill spacing and cut-off matter
Gamma logging lowers a probe down each hole to measure natural radiation, which is converted into an equivalent uranium grade (eU₃O₈). It is an estimate, unlike a chemical assay on a physical sample.
The 250ppm cut-off is the minimum grade counted as mineralisation in these results. Tighter drill spacing gives more data points, which is what the company is targeting to lift confidence from Inferred to Indicated.
For you as an investor, higher-confidence categories matter because they are the ones the company aims to build on as the Feasibility Study progresses.
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Samphire Growth Strategy progress and what’s next
Program status
The circa 300-hole Growth Strategy program, announced in early July 2026, is just over one third complete. Since the 28 July 2026 update, the company has completed:
- 38 rotary mud holes within the Blackbush extension and the wider Blackbush-Plumbush corridor
- 50 rotary mud infill holes within the Plumbush deposit Mineral Resource extent
- 3 sonic core holes, which recovered physical samples for assay
Sonic core assays are still pending, with results to be released following QAQC.
Next steps
Drilling will continue until late Q4 2026, with two rigs operating on a continuous day-shift basis. The company will keep up infill and extension drilling within the Blackbush-Plumbush corridor.
Drilling, geological and geophysical data will be integrated for the planned Samphire Mineral Resource update in Q1/Q2 2027. The Feasibility Study and associated mine planning and approvals workstreams are also being advanced.
That follows the 19 June 2026 announcement that the Samphire Mineral Resource grew 67%, which serves as prior context for this program.
The thesis for you to weigh is straightforward: a growing mineralised footprint, tighter drill density at Plumbush and a dated resource catalyst. Continuity between the new southern intersections still has to be proven by further drilling.
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