Far Northern Resources Drills First Core Samples in 30 Years at Bridge Creek Gold
Far Northern Resources kicks off diamond drilling at Bridge Creek gold deposit
Far Northern Resources (ASX: FNR) has commenced diamond drilling at its Bridge Creek Mining Lease in the Northern Territory, with a drill rig now on site. The 6-hole programme is planned for 750m and expected to take approximately 4 weeks to complete. This marks the first test work at Bridge Creek since 1994, representing a significant step change in data quality for the deposit announced on 23 July 2026.
The diamond drilling programme, first announced on 12 June 2026, aims to gather core samples to test four critical characteristics:
- Density
- Geotechnical characteristics
- Metallurgical characteristics
- Waste rock characteristics
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Why diamond drilling matters for the Bridge Creek resource
Diamond drilling differs fundamentally from reverse-circulation (RC) drilling by recovering intact physical core samples rather than fragmented rock chips. This intact core allows geologists to examine the rock’s structure, strength, and mineral composition in detail.
The current programme is expected to provide information “that cannot be obtained using reverse-circulation drilling alone,” according to the company. Core data on density, geotechnical properties, metallurgical behaviour, and waste rock characteristics forms the essential groundwork for preliminary mining studies. This type of detailed physical sampling is typically a prerequisite before advancing a project from exploration toward mine development.
The data gathered could potentially support an upgrade of resource classification, though the company has not confirmed any specific upgrade timeline. After more than three decades without core sampling, this programme represents the transition from historical data validation toward mining-study readiness.
The bigger picture — a 5km mineralised system along the Cosmo-Howley Anticline
Far Northern Resources controls approximately 5 kilometres of strike length along the Cosmo-Howley Anticline, a major geological structure that hosts multiple historical and operating gold mines in the Northern Territory. The Bridge Creek Project occupies a portion of that structure, with the IOS deposit lying 3.5km to the north.
Management increasingly views these two deposits as part of a much larger mineralised system rather than isolated occurrences. Recent drilling has extended mineralisation approximately 750m south of the existing Bridge Creek resource. Exploration work has confirmed gold mineralisation between the known deposits and identified numerous targets requiring follow-up drilling.
FNR’s current defined resources
| Deposit | Category | Tonnes (Mt) | Grade (g/t) | Ounces (koz) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridge Creek Central | Inferred | 2.0 | 1.18 | 76 |
| Bridge Creek South | Inferred | 0.7 | 0.80 | 17 |
| IOS | Inferred | 0.5 | 1.49 | 24 |
| Empire Stockworks (QLD) | Indicated + Inferred | 0.8 | 0.85 | 23 |
| Total | 4.0 | 1.09 | 140 |
The combined Bridge Creek and IOS deposits contain approximately 117koz of defined gold resources in the Northern Territory. The total company resource across all projects, including the Empire Stockworks project in Queensland, stands at 140koz. Figures are rounded to two significant figures to reflect the relative uncertainty of the Mineral Resource Estimate.
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Managing Director’s perspective and what comes next
Cameron Woodrow, Managing Director
“The commencement of the diamond drilling programme marks an important step in advancing our understanding of the Resource and the mineralisation of the system.”
Far Northern Resources acquired the Bridge Creek project approximately four years ago and listed on the ASX just over two years ago. Since listing, the company’s focus has been on validating the historical drilling described in the prospectus and testing extensions to the north and south of the existing deposit.
The 12-month roadmap
- Complete the current 6-hole, 750m diamond drilling programme over approximately 4 weeks.
- Use core data to inform preliminary mining studies and potentially support a resource classification upgrade.
- Continue exploration drilling of extensions between Bridge Creek and IOS along the broader Cosmo-Howley structure over the next 12 months.
The diamond drilling programme represents a transition from resource validation toward mining-study readiness. With approximately 5km of largely under-explored strike length along a proven gold-bearing structure, the company has positioned itself to systematically test a potentially much larger mineralised system than currently defined.
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