Bison Resources Files Drill Plan for 1.5km Nevada Gold Target, Eyes December Start
Key Takeaways
- Bison has lodged an NOI with the BLM for seven drill pads at Bald Peaks, targeting a 1.5 km Carlin-type gold-silver anomaly with holes to about 300 m.
- Maiden drilling is targeted for December 2026, but the NOI is still under BLM review and no drilling or results exist yet.
- Clearance can come as soon as 15 calendar days after a complete NOI is received, and the notice covers drilling through to October 2028.
- Second-batch rock chip assays, including the first from the expanded claim area, are due at the end of October and could refine hole locations.
- A further 4.7 km of unsampled strike along a roughly 6.2 km magnetic low gives Bison follow-up potential if the maiden holes deliver.
Bald Peaks drilling notice lodged for 1.5 km Carlin-type target
Bison Resources (ASX: BSR) has lodged a Notice of Intent (NOI) with the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for maiden drilling at its Bald Peaks Project in Elko County, Nevada. The company describes it as a major step towards drill testing its priority Carlin-type gold-silver target.
No drilling has taken place and no results are reported. What the filing does is put a defined program on the table:
- Seven drill pads
- Holes planned to ~300 m depth
- Reverse circulation (RC) drilling, with optionality to tail with diamond core
- Maiden drilling targeted to commence December 2026
Tim Mackellar, Chief Executive Officer, Bison Resources
“Every piece of work at Bald Peaks – from our first rock chips to the recent magnetics – has strengthened the case to drill. […] With a further 4.7 km of strike still to explore, this maiden program is just the beginning for Bald Peaks.”
For investors, the project moves from surface exploration towards drill-ready, which gives the market a defined catalyst to watch.
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Inside the maiden drill program
Targeting the heart of the anomaly
The seven pads are designed to test the 1.5 km Carlin-type geochemical and alteration anomaly. It sits at the intersection of major faults, which the company describes as the setting that hosts Carlin-type deposits across the region.
Earlier rock chip sampling at Bald Peaks identified classic Carlin-type pathfinders, the geochemical signature that first built the case for the anomaly now being targeted by the seven planned pads.
The holes are designed to confirm the thickness of the prospective host stratigraphy, map the structural architecture of the system and vector towards a potential mineralised core. In plain terms, they aim to show what rock sits at depth and where any mineralisation might be concentrated.
Final hole locations may be refined using incoming rock chip assays and ongoing modelling. Planned collars are shown as cyan diamonds in Figure 1 of the company’s announcement.
Room to grow
The 1.5 km anomaly is described as only the starting point. The magnetic low that hosts it extends over ~6.2 km of strike, with a further ~4.7 km to the south yet to be sampled.
Success in the maiden program would provide a clear pathway to systematically test this broader corridor.
| Planned pads | Depth | Method | Target length | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seven | ~300 m | RC, optionality to tail with diamond core | 1.5 km | December 2026 (targeted) |
What is Notice-level permitting, and why does it matter?
An NOI is a streamlined filing. The company lodged it with the BLM Wells Field Office, which allows low-impact exploration of five acres or less of surface disturbance to proceed without a full Plan of Operations.
Key facts from the announcement:
- Drilling clearance can be provided as soon as 15 calendar days after the BLM receives a complete NOI.
- Drilling operations are allowed to proceed once the reclamation bond is in place.
- The submitted NOI covers drilling through to October 2028, allowing follow-up holes from the same pads.
- Additional pads can be added via NOI amendments that come with similar review periods.
Shorter review periods can reduce permitting delay risk. Approval has not yet been granted, however, as the NOI remains subject to BLM review.
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Next steps and upcoming catalysts
The company outlined the following next steps:
- Drilling and earthwork contractor engagement underway.
- BLM review of the NOI and lodgement of the reclamation bond.
- Assays for the second batch of Bald Peaks rock chip samples, including the first samples from the expanded claim area, due end of October.
- Earthworks at Bald Peaks, building tracks and pads ready for drilling.
- Maiden drilling targeted to commence in December 2026.
The drill case builds on earlier work the company reported in announcements dated 10 July 2026, 24 September 2026 and 1 October 2026, the latter covering the recent magnetics.
Near-term news flow centres on the rock chip assays, BLM clearance and the drilling start. Timing is targeted rather than guaranteed, so you should treat the December date as a goal that depends on permitting and contractor readiness progressing as planned.
Investors weighing how Bald Peaks fits into the wider story can read our full explainer on Bison’s four Nevada Carlin Trend projects, which sets out each project’s geology, claim position and exploration priorities side by side.
Ready To Learn More About Bison Resources’ Bald Peaks Gold-Silver Project?
With a Notice of Intent lodged for seven drill pads targeting a 1.5 km Carlin-type anomaly, Bald Peaks is moving from surface exploration towards maiden drilling. A further 4.7 km of untested strike adds potential for follow-up programs.
Explore the project’s geology, upcoming catalysts and exploration priorities on the Bison Resources Bald Peaks project page. Stay across the rock chip assays, BLM review and December drilling target as they develop.