Bayan Mining Launches Phase 3 Geochemical Survey at Nevada Gold Project
Key Takeaways
- Bayan Mining (ASX: BMM) has launched its Phase 3 surface geochemistry and geological mapping programme at its 100%-owned Bayan Springs South Project in White Pine County, Nevada, targeting two priority areas ahead of drill permitting finalisation.
- Only approximately 12% of the project's 58 lode claims spanning ~4.85 km² has been covered by previous surface geochemistry, leaving the vast majority of the ground untested.
- Prior Phase 1 and Phase 2 programmes returned rock-chip assays of up to 8.25 g/t Au and soil assays of up to 0.311 g/t Au, with associated Carlin-style pathfinder anomalism across arsenic, antimony, mercury, and thallium.
- The northern target — centred on the interpreted intersection of the Dynasty and Bida Faults — has never previously been tested by systematic surface sampling, making Phase 3 a genuine first-pass over potentially significant ground.
- Phase 3 results feed directly into a US Forest Service permitting pathway already in progress, with drill pad finalisation and a revised Plan of Operations submission as the next sequential steps toward drilling.
Phase 3 field program underway at Bayan Springs South
Bayan Mining and Minerals (ASX: BMM) has commenced its Phase 3 surface geochemistry and geological mapping programme at its 100%-owned Bayan Springs South Project in White Pine County, Nevada. The programme targets two priority areas ahead of final drill targeting and permitting, representing a deliberate, systematic step forward rather than a routine field update.
The scale of untested ground makes this meaningful. With only approximately 12% of the project area covered by previous surface geochemistry, the vast majority of the 58 lode claims spanning ~4.85 km² remains unsampled. Prior programmes (Phase 1 and Phase 2) returned rock-chip assays of up to 8.25 g/t Au and soil assays of up to 0.311 g/t Au, along with associated pathfinder anomalism. Phase 3 now extends that work across two specific targets: a southern area where the gold and pathfinder anomaly remains open-ended, and a northern area centred on an untested fault intersection.
BMM’s Nevada gold-silver exploration programme has evolved through a staged approach since the project’s earliest field phases, with each successive programme building on the geological and geochemical data collected before it.
Nathan Kong, Chief Executive Officer
“The Phase 3 Field Program is a critical next step in sharpening our geological and geochemical understanding of our southern and northern drill targets at Bayan Springs South. The southern target also remains open beyond the limits of the existing sampling, while the northern area around the interpreted Dynasty and Bida fault intersection has not previously been covered by systematic surface sampling. With only around 12% of the Project area covered by previous surface geochemistry, this program is a practical next step to extend the known anomalies and test the northern structural target. It will also lift confidence in the positioning of future drill holes ahead of finalising drill locations and completing the final steps of drill permitting with the US Forest Service.”
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What Carlin-type gold exploration looks like — and why it matters
The Carlin Trend is a world-class gold-producing corridor running through north-central Nevada, hosting some of the largest gold deposits ever found. Mines operated by Barrick, Newmont, and Kinross Gold line this trend, which has produced tens of millions of ounces over decades. For an explorer like BMM, sitting on the Carlin Trend matters enormously.
Carlin-type gold deposits are structurally controlled and typically hosted in carbonate rocks (limestones and dolomites) that have been altered and replaced by hydrothermal fluids. One of their defining characteristics is the presence of pathfinder elements — arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), mercury (Hg), and thallium (Tl). These trace elements form geochemical halos around gold deposits, often extending further than the gold itself, which makes them effective early-stage indicators that guide explorers toward drill targets before a single hole is drilled.
The Phase 3 programme is sampling for exactly these pathfinder signatures across both target areas. Bayan Springs South sits adjacent to the historic Bellview Au-Ag-Pb Deposit and approximately 10 km north of Kinross Gold Corporation’s (NYSE: KGC) Bald Mountain Mine. For context, Bald Mountain holds approximately 2.548 million ounces in Measured and Indicated Resources and approximately 1.225 million ounces in Probable Reserves as of 31 December 2025, as reported by Kinross under NI 43-101 standards. These figures relate to Kinross’s operation and do not imply any similar resource potential at Bayan Springs South.
Two targets, one systematic programme
Southern target — extending an open-ended anomaly
The southern target is defined by a gold and pathfinder anomaly that remains open beyond the current sampling extent. Soil sampling will extend the existing grid southward, where the anomaly has not yet been closed off. The southernmost rock-chip sample previously returned 0.64 g/t Au, and a sample on the northeastern margin returned 0.58 g/t Au, both from prior programmes.
Rock-chip sampling will focus on exposed jasperoid, silicified carbonate, breccia, iron oxide-rich material, veins, intrusive contacts, and structurally prepared zones. All samples are to be submitted to ALS Laboratories in Reno, Nevada, for gold assay and multi-element analysis covering the principal Carlin-style pathfinder elements As, Sb, Hg, and Tl.
Northern target — testing an interpreted structural intersection
The northern target is a first-pass geochemical test around the interpreted intersection of the NNE-trending Dynasty Fault and NW-trending Bida Fault. This structural intersection has not previously been tested by systematic surface sampling.
The programme is designed to establish whether a coherent gold-pathfinder response exists at surface around this interpreted fault intersection, providing the geochemical and geological confidence needed to finalise proposed drill collar positioning.
| Target Area | Sampling Method | Line Spacing | Sample Interval | Objective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Target | Soil sampling & rock-chip sampling | ~50 m | ~100 m | Extend open gold and pathfinder anomaly southward; define drill targets |
| Northern Target | Soil sampling & rock-chip sampling | ~50 m | ~100 m | First-pass coverage of Dynasty/Bida Fault intersection; test for coherent geochemical response |
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What comes next — drilling in sight
Phase 3 results feed directly into BMM’s permitting pathway. Drill permitting with the US Forest Service is already progressing; this programme refines the proposed drill configuration rather than initiating the permitting process from scratch.
The anticipated sequence of next steps is:
- Phase 3 samples submitted to ALS Laboratories, Reno, Nevada
- Results integrated with existing geological, structural, geochemical, and geophysical datasets
- Refined drill pad locations and hole orientations finalised
- Revised Plan of Operations submitted to the US Forest Service
- Drill permitting completed (subject to applicable regulatory processes and approvals)
On the second active front, BMM has completed its maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling programme at the Desert Star Rare Earth Project, comprising 856 metres of drilling. Samples have been dispatched to ALS Laboratories, with assay results expected in October 2026, subject to laboratory turnaround times. The company is not speculating on outcomes ahead of those results.
Two active programmes advancing simultaneously — one refining drill targets in Nevada’s premier gold corridor, the other awaiting maiden assays at a rare earth project — positions BMM as a company with near-term catalysts across both assets.
Investors exploring the Desert Star side of BMM’s portfolio in more depth can find our full explainer on the Desert Star maiden drilling programme, which details the RC drill design, target rationale, and what the October 2026 assay results are expected to test.
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