Albion Resources Clears Path for Maiden Drilling at Gidgee Gold Project

Albion Resources Clears Key Hurdle for Maiden Drilling at Gidgee Gold Project

ASX: ALB | General Announcement | 6 August 2026

Albion Resources has received Programme of Work (PoW) approval from the Western Australian Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration, clearing the final regulatory hurdle before Albion Resources maiden drilling at Gidgee Gold Project commences. With drilling expected to begin in late August 2026, the approval marks the transition from exploration planning to physical fieldwork for a company that has spent months building its target pipeline within one of Western Australia's most historically productive gold districts.

From Soil to Drill Bit: What PoW Approval Means for Albion

A Programme of Work approval is not a routine administrative step. It is the regulatory clearance required in Western Australia before any company can physically drill on its tenements. For Albion, securing this approval unlocks the next phase of an exploration story built systematically at Gidgee.

Since acquiring the project, the company has completed a pre-drilling work programme comprising:

• Ultrafine soil geochemistry across the tenure
• Reinterpretation of historical drilling data
• Geological reviews and field reconnaissance
• Target generation surveys

This work has produced a pipeline of drill-ready targets, the most advanced of which is the German Well South gold prospect. Historical drilling at German Well South has returned gold intersections that remain open at depth and along strike, according to the company. Furthermore, the recently completed ultrafine soil geochemistry programme has identified eight additional target areas along prospective structures across the project.

The approved drilling programme will deploy two methods:

CEO Peter Goh commented:

"Receiving PoW approval is an important milestone and allows us to move into the execution phase of our maiden drilling campaign at Gidgee. We believe Gidgee represents an outstanding exploration opportunity within the highly endowed Gum Creek Greenstone Belt. Our recent soil geochemistry programme has generated numerous high-quality targets, while German Well South provides an advanced drill-ready opportunity supported by significant gold intersections."

Understanding the Gidgee Gold Project: Location Is Everything

The Gidgee Gold Project sits within the Gum Creek Greenstone Belt in Western Australia's East Murchison region, a district with an established history of gold discovery and production.

Key project characteristics, according to the announcement, include:

• Approximately 19 kilometres of prospective shear corridors extending across Albion's tenure
• The German Well South prospect, where historical gold intersections are reported to remain open at depth and along strike
• Eight new target areas identified from recent ultrafine soil geochemistry
• 100% ownership by Albion Resources
• A location between the regional centres of Meekatharra and Wiluna, both of which support long-established mining operations
• The historical haul road linking the former Gidgee Mill and surrounding deposits, which traverses Albion's tenure

Much of Albion's tenure is described by the company as relatively underexplored using modern exploration methods, with most historical drilling comprising shallow Rotary Air Blast (RAB) drilling. The gap between this shallow historical work and the prospectivity suggested by Albion's more recent geochemistry programme is precisely what the maiden campaign has been designed to test.

The Gum Creek Greenstone Belt: A District With Established Gold Endowment

Understanding the geological setting helps explain why the Gidgee project is considered significant by the company.

The Gum Creek Greenstone Belt is described as a historically productive gold district. The following details are based on publicly available information:

Albion's tenure occupies a central position within this belt. Despite the district's established endowment, the company's ground has reportedly seen limited systematic modern exploration, which management has pointed to as a potential discovery opportunity.

Reinforcing the level of activity across the wider district, neighbouring company Horizon Gold Limited recently reported drilling results from its Kingfisher deposit, located south of Albion's tenure, intersecting 23 metres at 5.3 g/t gold from 188 metres. These results relate to mineralisation outside Albion's tenements and are not necessarily indicative of what may be found at Gidgee. However, they reflect continued exploration activity across the broader Gum Creek to Sandstone gold district.

What Is Ultrafine Soil Geochemistry, and Why Does It Matter?

Ultrafine soil geochemistry is one of the more technical concepts underpinning Albion's target generation work at Gidgee, and it is worth explaining for investors following the story.

Conventional soil sampling collects bulk surface material, which can include transported sediment that dilutes or obscures the geochemical signal from mineralisation beneath the surface. Ultrafine soil geochemistry, however, targets the finest particle fraction in soil — typically clay-sized particles — which are more likely to reflect the in-situ weathering of underlying rock and therefore carry a more direct chemical signature of what lies below.

Why This Matters for Investors

• It is designed to generate higher-confidence, lower-noise geochemical anomalies compared with standard soil sampling
• It is considered particularly useful in areas with transported cover, a common feature across parts of Western Australia's Murchison region
• Anomalies generated using this method are generally regarded as more reliable drill targets, which may help reduce exploration risk
• Albion's use of this technique, rather than relying solely on historical shallow drilling, reflects a more modern approach to target generation

The identification of eight new target areas through this method, in addition to the already-advanced German Well South prospect, consequently expands the company's exploration pipeline heading into its first drill campaign.

Upcoming Catalysts and Timeline

Albion is entering a period of anticipated news flow, with several near-term milestones flagged in the announcement.

The company is currently finalising drilling logistics, including contractor mobilisation, geological support, and field operations. A detailed overview of the planned drilling programme and full target pipeline is expected to be released once finalised, subject to contractor availability and mobilisation.

Why Albion Resources Warrants Investor Attention

The PoW approval is more than an administrative update. It represents the point at which Albion transitions from planning into physical exploration — a phase that typically generates the most closely watched news flow for early-stage explorers.

A Modern Approach Following Largely Shallow Historical Drilling

Most historical drilling across Albion's tenure was shallow RAB drilling, a technique limited to testing near-surface mineralisation. By deploying RC drilling at depth alongside AC drilling informed by modern geochemistry, the company is testing the project using methods not previously applied across much of the tenure.

Multiple Targets Rather Than a Single Test

With German Well South as the priority target and eight additional geochemical anomalies identified, the Albion Resources maiden drilling at Gidgee Gold Project spans multiple prospects rather than resting on a single outcome. This approach provides the programme with meaningful breadth from the outset.

A District With an Established Production History

A greenstone belt containing more than 2.3Moz in defined resources and over 1Moz in historical production, according to publicly available data, provides geological context for the scale of mineralisation the belt has previously hosted. Albion's central position within this belt is a factor the company has highlighted as strategically relevant.

Neighbouring Exploration Activity

Recent results from Horizon Gold at the Kingfisher deposit, intersecting 23 metres at 5.3 g/t gold from 188 metres, indicate that exploration activity across the broader district continues to generate results, although these are not indicative of outcomes at Gidgee.

Full Ownership of the Project

Albion holds the Gidgee Gold Project outright, meaning any exploration success accrues entirely to the company without third-party interests diluting potential upside.

Glossary of Key Terms

Key Takeaway

Albion Resources has moved into an active exploration period within the Gum Creek Greenstone Belt. With PoW approval secured, Albion Resources maiden drilling at Gidgee Gold Project set to commence in late August 2026, and a market update on drilling strategy due within days, investors following early-stage gold exploration may wish to monitor Albion Resources as assay results begin to be reported.

Ready to Follow Albion Resources Into Its Maiden Drill Campaign at Gidgee?

With Programme of Work approval secured, drilling set to commence in late August 2026, and a detailed strategy update due imminently, Albion Resources is entering one of the most closely watched phases of any early-stage explorer's journey. To learn more about the company, the Gidgee Gold Project, and the upcoming drill programme, visit albionresources.com.au.