Elementos Gets Green Light for 3,600m Drilling to Grow Cleveland Tin and Tungsten
Key Takeaways
- Elementos has approval for a 3,600m diamond drilling program at its 100%-owned Cleveland Project in Tasmania, starting early November 2026.
- The Foleys Zone tungsten Exploration Target of 32Mt at 0.24% WO₃ to 90Mt at 0.17% WO₃ dwarfs the existing 8.49Mt Inferred resource, but remains conceptual until drilled.
- A previously undrilled tin-copper corridor between the Halls B and Battery Lodes is a second target, adjacent to ground that produced for 27 years.
- One 1,200m parent hole and five daughter holes from a single pad aims to test multiple targets while limiting surface disturbance.
- The announcement does not disclose drilling cost, funding or assay timing, and this is not a final investment decision.
Elementos approved for 3,600m Cleveland drilling program
Elementos Limited (ASX: ELT) has received approval for a 3,600m diamond drilling program at its 100%-owned Cleveland Project in Tasmania, with drilling scheduled to start in early November 2026. The program targets tin, copper and tungsten extensions.
The company describes it as an important next step in its staged evaluation of Cleveland. It is not a final investment decision, so treat it as an information-gathering stage rather than a development commitment.
Key facts from the announcement:
- 3,600m diamond drilling program
- 1,200m parent hole
- Five daughter holes
- Drilling scheduled to commence early November 2026
Joe David, Managing Director
“Our clear objective is to increase the geological confidence, and ultimately, increase the tonnage of our estimated Tin, Copper and Tungsten Mineral Resources already estimated at the project…”
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Two targets: undrilled tin-copper corridor and Foleys Zone tungsten
The program is designed to test two distinct mineralised zones, while also collecting extra technical data for future studies.
Previously undrilled tin-copper zone
The first target is a prospective area of tin-copper-bearing stratigraphy (rock layering) between the historically productive Halls B and Battery Lodes. Despite extensive historic mining, underground development and exploration at Cleveland, this area has not previously been tested by historic drilling.
That matters because it sits next to ground that has already produced. The program will investigate whether mineralisation extends into this corridor, which the company says could provide new geological information that could identify opportunities for future resource growth.
Foleys Zone tungsten and critical minerals
The second target is the deeper Foleys Zone, which hosts an existing Inferred tungsten Mineral Resource of 8.49Mt at 0.24% WO₃. In February 2026, Elementos announced a 100% increase in the tungsten Mineral Resource tonnage following geological reinterpretation and incorporation of additional drilling information.
Beyond that, the company has identified a tungsten Exploration Target ranging from 32Mt at 0.24% WO₃ to 90Mt at 0.17% WO₃, based on sensitised cut-off grades. The Exploration Target is separate from the existing resources and is located around, but predominantly below, the current Inferred Mineral Resource.
The potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Target are conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource within it, and there is no certainty that further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource.
The drilling will also seek to intersect molybdenum, bismuth, rubidium and fluorite mineralisation, previously assayed in earlier drilling campaigns.
| Existing mineral inventory | Tonnes | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Tungsten Mineral Resources | 8.49Mt | 0.24% WO₃ |
| Tungsten Exploration Target | 32Mt – 90Mt | 0.24% to 0.17% WO₃ |
| Tin and copper Mineral Resources | 7.47Mt | 0.75% Sn, 0.30% Cu |
| Tin and copper tailings Ore Reserves | 3.70Mt | 0.29% Sn, 0.13% Cu |
How exploration drilling turns targets into resources
An Exploration Target is a conceptual range, not an estimate. A Mineral Resource carries more weight because it rests on enough drilling data to be formally estimated, and the Inferred category is the lower-confidence end of that scale. Drilling is the step that builds geological confidence, and the company’s stated objective is to assess potential conversion of the Exploration Target to a JORC-compliant Mineral Resource.
The hole design is worth understanding. One primary (parent) hole of approximately 1,200m is drilled from a single surface pad, and five branched (daughter) holes then fan out at different orientations.
This allows multiple prospective areas to be investigated from one location. According to the company, it reduces the need for additional drill pads and limits surface disturbance in the challenging terrain around the historic mine, which points to a lower footprint per target tested. The announcement does not disclose a drilling cost.
Core data to support studies and redevelopment
The recovered core will be geologically logged, sampled and assayed, then incorporated into updated Mineral Resource estimates. The announcement says it will also support:
- Geological modelling and the planning of potential future drilling campaigns
- Geotechnical assessment, to inform future mine planning and development studies
- Metallurgical sample collection, to support future test work on mineral recovery and processing flowsheet options
- Potential future resource re-estimation
Cleveland is a proven producing underground tin-copper mine that operated for 27 years last century, about 80km southwest of Burnie in North-West Tasmania. It also has historic underground development and established infrastructure, which Elementos continues to assess as part of its staged redevelopment investigations.
Parallel programs advancing
Metallurgical investigations are progressing across tungsten, molybdenum, bismuth, rubidium and fluorspar. The work builds on previously reported ore-sorting results that demonstrated significant tungsten grade upgrades and encouraging recoveries.
Separately, processed data from the 35 line-kilometre SkyTEM airborne electromagnetic survey, completed in July 2026, has been received. The next phase is geophysical interpretation to identify the presence and depth of conductive bodies and prospective anomalies, and to assess opportunities for follow-up exploration.
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What the Cleveland drilling means for investors
The investment case here is resource growth potential in tin, copper and tungsten, plus optionality on critical minerals. Results could add to the existing inventory, but the Exploration Target remains conceptual until drilling says otherwise.
Cleveland also gives Elementos additional exposure to tin and broader strategic metals, alongside its flagship Oropesa Tin Project in Spain, which is progressing toward a Final Investment Decision, and its option to acquire the Robledollano Tin Smelter.
Next, drilling is scheduled to begin in early November 2026, followed by assays, modelling and potential resource re-estimation. The announcement does not disclose assay timing or funding.
Joe David, Managing Director
“Cleveland has already displayed strong evidence of additional mineralisation beyond what has been estimated in our Minerals Resources… the Foleys Zone Exploration Target of approximately 32Mt to 90Mt. This drilling program will test both tin and tungsten extensions, whilst also providing important technical data, including geotechnical and metallurgical, to support further technical studies…”
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