Tasman Resources Clears Final Approval for 20-Hole Parkinson Dam Drill Programme
Key Takeaways
- Tasman has received its approved PEPR, leaving all approvals in place for a 20-hole drilling programme at the 100%-owned Parkinson Dam Project.
- High-priority targets have grown from 6 to 20, selected from 60 identified in a 2026 Archimedes Consulting review.
- Historical hole PD63 returned 21m at 21 g/t gold and 83 g/t silver, anchoring the case for the new programme.
- No start date has been disclosed, with contractor engagement the remaining gating item before Tasman announces drilling timing.
- The RC programme targets depths to 600m and no Mineral Resource has been defined, so drilling results are the main value catalyst.
Parkinson Dam drilling programme fully approved after PEPR received
Tasman Resources (ASX:TAS) has received the approved Program for Environment Protection and Rehabilitation (PEPR) from the South Australian Government. That means the 20 hole drilling programme at its 100% owned Parkinson Dam Project in South Australia is now fully approved.
An Aboriginal Heritage Survey approval has also been obtained, with the announcement citing 1 July 2026 against it. Tasman is finalising the engagement of critical contractors and will announce the timing of the drilling programme once those engagements are finalised, so no start date has been disclosed.
For you as an investor, the regulatory approvals are now cleared. The remaining gating item the company points to is contractor engagement.
Key facts from the announcement:
- Up to 20 new holes planned at Parkinson Dam
- High priority targets increased from 6 to 20
- Project is 100% owned by Tasman
- All approvals required for the drilling programme are in place
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Why do the 20 new targets stand out?
From 6 targets to 20
The new targets come from a 2026 review by Archimedes Consulting, supported by its consulting geologist Dr Tony Belperio. The review drew on new geophysical data acquired by Tasman over the past two years, available regional geological and geophysical data, and information from Tasman’s earlier 81 drill holes drilled between 2006 and 2009.
A total of 60 targets were identified, and the twenty most prospective were selected as drill targets. They replace the six earlier targets detailed by Tasman since 2024.
The targets are mainly potential hydrothermal and epithermal targets, and also potentially IOCG (iron oxide copper-gold) targets.
Historical results that anchor the thesis
The drilling plan leans on earlier results. These are historical intercepts from the 2006-2009 programme, referenced to ASX announcements dated 14 June 2007 and 19 June 2007.
| Hole | Interval | Gold | Silver | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PD63 | **21m** (179m-200m), including **9m** (179m-188m) | **21 g/t Au**; including **31 g/t Au** | **83 g/t Ag**; including **152 g/t Ag** | **105.3 g/t Au** from 101m-102m (RC pre-collar) |
| PD64 | **15m**, including **3m** | Not reported | **23 g/t Ag**; including **44 g/t Ag** | **5.5% Pb**, **0.4% Zn**, **0.2% Cu**; including **18.1% Pb**, **1.1% Zn** |
| PD30 (6 Nov 2006) | **1.66m** | **1.20 g/t Au** | **120 g/t Ag** | **7.6% Pb**, **10.5% Zn**, **0.4% Cu** |
Grades are expressed in grams per tonne (g/t) for gold (Au) and silver (Ag), and as percentages for lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu). Intercepts like these show that earlier drilling hit high grade material, which is why the company is returning with a larger programme.
Greg Solomon, Executive Chairman
“This long awaited new Parkinson Dam drilling programme, is targeting 20 new untested targets that are all strongly supported by one or more geophysical surveys…”
Understanding epithermal systems and the Gawler Craton
Epithermal and hydrothermal mineralisation forms when hot fluids move through rock and deposit metals such as gold, silver and base metals. Epithermal deposits form near the surface and can include high grade zones, which is why intercepts like PD63 draw attention.
The announcement states the mineralisation is interpreted to be related to the major Gawler Range Volcanics – Hiltaba event (1590Ma mineralisation), responsible for regional-scale metallogeny. The mineralised system identified extends over at least 3 km², and in one area high grade gold-silver mineralisation and very thick, but low-grade lead-zinc has been intersected in drilling.
The mineralisation is considered typical for epithermal deposits and is likely to be part of the extensive Mesoproterozoic metallogenic event on the Gawler Craton. That same event was responsible for Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill, Carrapateena and Menninnie Dam.
This is geological context only. Such similarities do not guarantee Tasman will have any success in delineating a Mineral Resource, and none has been defined.
What this tells you is that drill-testing is the main value catalyst, since the high grade intercepts are historical and the new targets are untested.
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Drilling plan and what comes next
Tasman is finalising the engagement of critical contractors, with key plans as follows:
- A suitable driller, using a high capacity RC (reverse circulation) drill rig and an experienced team, will be engaged to conduct at depth drilling operations.
- The programme will test up to 20 potential targets using RC drilling, described as a low cost, high impact programme across the project area, including the important Uno Fault system.
- RC holes will test for mineralisation down to a targeted depth of 600m, and will also serve as pre-collars for subsequent deeper diamond drilling where required.
- A suitable drilling support contractor is also being engaged to supervise operations.
The next catalyst is the announcement of drilling timing, which Tasman will make once the contractor engagements are finalised. Drilling will commence after that point.
All figures in the announcement are taken from the Archimedes Consulting Review (announcement of 27 July 2026).
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