Ausmon Resources Finds Zinc and Silver Clues Near Broken Hill Ahead of More Sampling
Key Takeaways
- Ausmon's Diesel Prospect rock samples returned up to 1,350ppm zinc, 5,370ppm barium and 4.7g/t silver with 600ppm lead, all from surface sampling at the Enmore Project near Broken Hill.
- Barium is the headline signal, with two samples above 4,400ppm, and the company flags it as potentially a vector element for base metal mineralisation.
- No drilling has been done and the company calls its interpretation preliminary, so these results guide the next round of sampling rather than indicate a resource.
- Ausmon holds 100% of the 341 km² tenement through New Base Metals with no JVs, royalties or Native Title claimants, but Perilya's drilling of two VTEM conductors previously found no significant mineralisation.
- Next steps are more soil sampling and petrographic work on the barium, with air core drilling and/or ground magnetics to be considered, and no timelines or budgets have been given.
Enmore assays return elevated zinc, barium and silver at Diesel Prospect
Ausmon Resources has received assay results from field exploration at the Enmore Project (EL 9220), near Broken Hill in western New South Wales. The results add an early data point to the company’s base metals exploration push.
The headline rock results include up to 1,350ppm zinc (Zn) in sample 26ENRC068, up to 5,370ppm barium (Ba) in 26ENRC082, and 4.7g/t silver (Ag) with 600ppm lead (Pb) in 26ENRC060. Soil sampling returned 70 to 113ppm Zn and 380 to 540ppm Ba in the northern and southern parts of the Soil Survey Grid.
In total, 30 rock and 23 soil samples were sent to ALS in Adelaide for multi-element (ME ICP61) analysis. Only Diesel Prospect results are reported, because rain limited work at the Pine Creek Prospect. Diesel was previously referred to as West Enmore.
The company describes its interpretation as preliminary and based on a limited dataset. That is a sensible caution at this stage, and it frames everything that follows.
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Rock sample highlights from the Diesel Prospect
Best rock results
The table below reproduces the Diesel rock results from the announcement’s summary. Where the source figures conflict between its summary, photo caption and full assay table, those values are left out rather than guessed.
| Sample ID | Zn | Ba | Ag / Pb | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26ENRC068 | 1,350ppm | 1,100ppm | Not listed | 290ppm Mn |
| 26ENRC072 | 1,095ppm | 1,480ppm | 163ppm Pb | Not listed |
| 26ENRC063 | 933ppm | 2,030ppm | Not listed | 186ppm Mn |
| 26ENRC060 | Not listed | 1,290ppm | 4.7g/t Ag / 600ppm Pb | Not listed |
| 26ENRC080 | Not listed | 2,190ppm | 1.2g/t Ag / 316ppm Pb | Not listed |
| 26ENRC070 | Not listed | 1,340ppm | 310ppm Pb | Not listed |
| 26ENRC081 | Not listed | 4,480ppm | 0.1g/t Ag / 160ppm Pb | Not listed |
| 26ENRC082 | Not listed | 5,370ppm | 129ppm Pb | 403ppm Mn, 125ppm Cu |
Mn denotes manganese and Cu denotes copper. The sample 26ENRC060 zinc figure and the copper entries for 26ENRC070 are inconsistent across the source’s own tables, so they are omitted here.
Put simply, several samples show zinc, lead or silver above background, and a handful show very high barium. These are surface rock samples, not drill intercepts.
Why barium matters
The company states that Ba is “potentially a vector element for base metal mineralisation.” A vector element is a chemical marker that can point toward a nearby source of the metals explorers are really chasing.
The wording is hedged for good reason. Elevated barium is a pointer that needs testing, not proof of base metals.
Photo-caption highlights from the announcement:
- 26ENRC072: 1,095ppm Zn, 1,480ppm Ba and 163ppm Pb
- 26ENRC082: 5,370ppm Ba, 125ppm Cu, 403ppm Mn and 129ppm Pb
Understanding soil and rock geochemistry in exploration
Surface sampling is a low-cost first pass. Geologists collect soil and rock across a grid, then look for anomalies, meaning patches where element concentrations rise above their surroundings, before deciding whether drilling is worth the money.
Here, samples were first scanned with an Olympus Delta pXRF (portable X-ray fluorescence) instrument. Those with elevated base metal geochemistry went to ALS in Adelaide for laboratory confirmation. The pXRF data is not included in the announcement.
So what does this mean for you? Results at this stage guide where to sample next. They are not resource indicators, and no drilling has been done.
Geological setting and investment case
The Enmore tenement covers 341 km² of the Curnamona Province, 50 km south of Broken Hill. It is owned by New Base Metals, a subsidiary of Ausmon Resources, with no JVs or royalties and no Native Title claimants.
The tenement sits in the Thackaringa Group, stratigraphically below the Broken Hill Group that hosts the Broken Hill Pb-Zn-Ag orebody. That is geological context only. The announcement does not state that Enmore hosts comparable mineralisation.
Key points for investors:
- NE-SW shear zones, associated with NE-SW linear magnetic highs, cross both Pine Creek and Diesel and could be targets for base metal mineralisation.
- CRA, Aberfoyle, Anglo American and Perilya have previously explored the tenement. Perilya’s two VTEM conductors were core drilled with no significant mineralisation intersected.
- Sampling has been confined to outcrop and skeletal soil cover, with further outcrop to the south and east yet to be explored.
That last point is the upside angle: more ground remains untested by surface sampling. It is a reason for further work, not a result in itself.
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Next steps
The announcement states the next stage is further surficial geochemical exploration. Planned work includes:
- Additional soil sampling across outcrop and subcrop areas.
- Thin-section petrographic analysis of selected rock samples to investigate the distribution and source of the elevated Ba values.
- Shallow air core drilling and/or ground magnetics, which will be considered when exploration extends beyond outcrop and shallow cover areas.
Company statement
“…required to better define the extent of the anomalism…”
The company says further surficial exploration is needed to define the anomalism and to improve understanding of the structural controls on mineralisation. No timelines, budgets or drilling dates were disclosed.
The announcement dated 19 October 2026 reports sampling completed on 12 August 2026. Exploration results were compiled by Mark Derriman, Chief Technical Officer.
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