Cullen Resources Confirms Gold-Silver-Copper Hits Above Untested Bedrock at Yardilla
Key Takeaways
- Resampling of May 2026 air core drilling at Yardilla has confirmed anomalous gold-silver-copper zones in saprolite at both the Cleanthes and Lila prospects, with headline results of up to 2.42 g/t Au, 2,610 ppm Cu, and 6.7 g/t Ag over 1m intervals.
- Neither Cleanthes nor Lila has ever been drilled in bedrock — all historical RAB and current air core results sit within the weathered saprolite zone only, leaving approximately 2km-long mineralised targets completely untested at depth.
- The multi-element Au-Cu-Ag signature across two separately defined prospects strengthens the case for a mineralised system at depth rather than superficial weathering anomalies.
- Cullen holds 100% of E63/2487 and is earning up to 90% of E63/2463 (approximately 150 sq. km), together forming the ~325 sq. km Yardilla project 90 km east of Norseman on the Yilgarn Craton's eastern margin.
- Follow-up deeper air core and/or RC drilling is confirmed as the clear next step, with Lila West and Ten Mile Rocks representing additional undrilled targets along a ~25km trend.
Bedrock gold targets confirmed at Yardilla as resampling reveals multi-element anomalies
Resampling of reconnaissance air core drilling completed in May 2026 at the Cleanthes and Lila gold prospects has confirmed anomalous gold-silver-copper zones in saprolite at Cullen Resources’ Yardilla Gold Project. The headline results include up to 2.42 g/t Au, 2,610 ppm Cu, and 6.7 g/t Ag over 1m intervals, along with a composite interval of 20m @ 0.11 g/t Au from 30m — verified from Tables 1 and 2 in the source announcement.
Critically, none of these first-pass anomalies have ever been tested in bedrock. The current results sit within the saprolite (weathered) zone only, with the prospective mineralised zones remaining open at depth within approximately 2km-long targets at both prospects.
The Yardilla project covers approximately 325 sq. km centred about 90 km east of Norseman, positioned at the Proterozoic/Archaean boundary on the eastern margin of the Yilgarn Craton in Western Australia.
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What the assay results show across Lila and Cleanthes
Lila prospect results
The 1m resampling at Lila returned anomalous gold zones across four holes, with gold anomalies appearing strata- and thrust-parallel along a northeast-southwest trend:
- YAAC007: 5m @ 0.14 g/t Au from 45m, with a standout 1m interval returning 0.20 g/t Au, 6.7 g/t Ag, and 163 ppm Cu
- YAAC008: 5m @ 0.16 g/t Au from 35m
- YAAC009: 5m @ 0.12 g/t Au from 35m
- YAAC006: 1m @ 0.19 g/t Au at end of hole (50m)
Cleanthes prospect results
Cleanthes returned stronger multi-element results, with anomalies appearing to parallel the major northwest-southeast lithological contact. The limited drill data suggests zones of gold-silver-copper anomalism may be flat-lying to gently dipping, subject to further investigation:
- YAAC014: 10m @ 0.14 g/t Au from 30m, including 1m @ 0.314 g/t Au (with 1,305 ppm Cu) and 1m @ 0.203 g/t Au with 2,610 ppm Cu
- YAAC015: 10m @ 0.18 g/t Au from 25m, with 1m @ 2.42 g/t Au and 1m @ 0.193 g/t Au and 1,245 ppm Cu
- YAAC017: 1m @ 0.20 g/t Au at end of hole (50m)
The table below summarises the standout intercepts across both prospects:
| Hole ID | Prospect | From–To (m) | Au (g/t) | Notable co-pathfinders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YAAC007 | Lila | 45–50m (5m composite); 45–46m (1m) | 0.14 (composite); 0.20 (1m) | 6.7 g/t Ag, 163 ppm Cu (1m @ 45m) |
| YAAC008 | Lila | 35–40m | 0.16 | — |
| YAAC006 | Lila | 50–51m (EoH) | 0.19 | — |
| YAAC014 | Cleanthes | 30–40m (10m); 34–35m (1m); 35–36m (1m) | 0.14 (composite); 0.314 (1m); 0.203 (1m) | 2,610 ppm Cu (1m @ 35m) |
| YAAC015 | Cleanthes | 25–35m (10m); 30–31m (1m) | 0.18 (composite); 0.193 (1m) | 1,245 ppm Cu (1m @ 30m) |
Why untested bedrock matters: an investor’s guide to regolith vs. bedrock drilling
To understand why these results matter, it helps to know what the drilling has actually tested — and what it hasn’t.
Regolith refers to the layer of weathered and broken rock sitting above fresh bedrock. Saprolite is the lower part of this weathered zone, where rock has been chemically altered but not fully broken down. Historical RAB (Rotary Air Blast) drilling at both Lila and Cleanthes only ever penetrated this upper weathered profile — it never reached the fresh rock beneath.
Air core drilling, the method Cullen used in May 2026, is designed to push through the regolith and test material at or near the top of fresh rock. That makes it the logical next step after RAB: you’re testing a zone that historical programs simply never reached.
The significance is straightforward. Both Lila and Cleanthes host approximately 2km-long targets defined by combined gold, copper, and silver anomalies in historical RAB data — and neither has ever been drilled in bedrock. The multi-element Au-Cu-Ag signature returned in the current resampling strengthens the case that these are not superficial weathering anomalies but reflect a mineralised system at depth.
Looking further along the trend, Lila West and Ten Mile Rocks have never been drilled at all. Together with Lila and Cleanthes, these prospects define a ~25km trend of imbricate thrust sheets and cross-cutting faults at the Proterozoic/Archaean boundary. Active peers operating on the same trend include the Viking Project (ASX: TXR) and the Forelands Project (ASX: BPM), which speaks to the prospectivity of the address.
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Follow-up drilling the clear next step at Yardilla
The announcement confirms that follow-up deeper air core and/or RC drilling is clearly warranted at both Cleanthes and Lila prospects. The current results provide the targeting confidence needed to justify that next stage of work.
Cullen holds its Yardilla tenure across two exploration licences. E63/2487 is held at 100% through Cullen Exploration Pty Ltd. E63/2463 (approximately 150 sq. km) is being earned up to 90%, with 20% earned to date, through Cullen Metals Pty Ltd under a Binding Term Sheet announced in November 2024. Together, these licences form the combined ~325 sq. km Yardilla project.
No traditional promotional quote from management appears in the source announcement, so no quote callout is included here.
Yardilla sits at a structurally significant Proterozoic/Archaean boundary, a geological setting associated with orogenic gold systems across the Yilgarn Craton. The multi-element anomaly suite — gold, copper, and silver together — at shallow depths across two separately defined prospects, combined with a substantial untested strike length and undrilled targets along the broader trend, positions the project for a meaningful step-up in geological understanding with the next drill programme.
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