Krakatoa Resources Hits 11g/t Gold and 3.56% Antimony in First 2026 Zopkhito Assays

Krakatoa Resources Zopkhito Gold Antimony project delivers its first 2026 assay results, with standout intercepts of 1.8m at 11.09g/t Au and 6.74m at 4.71g/t Au confirming high-grade mineralisation across multiple veins — including zones sitting outside the existing foreign resource estimate.
By William Hadrian -
  • First 2026 assay batch from Zopkhito confirms high-grade gold and antimony across all four surface diamond holes, with the best intercept returning 1.8m at 11.09g/t Au and 3.56% Sb from DD26ZOP001, including a peak sample of 17.1g/t Au.
  • Veins 50 and 61 — both sitting outside the existing foreign resource estimate — returned meaningful mineralisation, pointing to a broader system than Soviet-era exploration had defined.
  • The foreign resource estimate stands at 225,000 tonnes at 11.6% Sb and 7.1 million tonnes at 3.7g/t Au, but is not JORC 2012 compliant; the 2026 programme is specifically designed to support future conversion to a formal MRE.
  • Two further assay batches are currently at the ALS laboratory in Turkey, with metallurgical test work scheduled to begin in October and geological reconnaissance targeting the Sagebi and Devrushi zones expected within months.
  • The mineral licence runs to 15 March 2042 and received a two-year exploration period extension on 5 June 2026, providing additional runway for the current programme.
Summarise with AI:

First 2026 assays confirm high-grade gold and antimony across multiple veins at Zopkhito

Krakatoa Resources (ASX: KTA) has received the first batch of assay results from its 2026 drilling programme at the Zopkhito Antimony-Gold Project in Georgia, with standout intercepts including 1.8m @ 11.09g/t Au and 3.56% Sb from DD26ZOP001, and 6.74m @ 4.71g/t Au and 0.88% Sb (including 0.76m @ 11.65g/t Au and 2.65% Sb) from DD26ZOP004. Peak individual samples returned 17.1g/t Au and 15.3% Sb.

All four surface diamond holes intersected Vein 6, with the first ten underground core samples also included in this initial batch. Two further batches are currently at the ALS laboratory in Turkey, with additional core on the way. Results are consistent with 2025 drilling and support the historical high-grade foreign resource estimate, advancing the path toward a JORC 2012 standard Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE).

Zopkhito assay results at a glance

The table below summarises selected significant intercepts from the first assay batch, sourced directly from Table 1 of the announcement.

Drill Hole From (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Sb (%)
DD26ZOP001 52.60 1.80 11.09 3.56
DD26ZOP001 (best sample) 53.25 0.65 17.10 4.88
DD26ZOP002 43.99 2.83 3.26 5.72 (incl. 0.61m @ 15.3% Sb)
DD26ZOP004 74.42 6.74 4.71 0.88 (incl. 0.76m @ 11.65g/t Au & 2.65% Sb)
UG26ZOP005 7.60 0.67 4.51
UG26ZOP008 0.93 0.25 5.90

Note: All intercepts are reported as downhole length. The best sample interval for DD26ZOP001 (53.25m to 53.90m) is drawn from Table 1 of the announcement.

What is antimony and why does it matter for investors?

Antimony (symbol: Sb) is a metalloid element used across a wide range of industrial applications, including flame retardants, lead-acid batteries, semiconductors, and increasingly in energy storage technology. Multiple Western governments — including the United States, the European Union, and Australia — classify antimony as a critical mineral, reflecting serious supply chain concerns driven by China’s dominance of global production.

That strategic context gives the Zopkhito project a dual-commodity investment case that few ASX-listed explorers can match. The project hosts a foreign resource estimate of 225,000 tonnes at 11.6% Sb alongside 7.1 million tonnes at 3.7g/t Au, representing one of the highest-grade antimony foreign resource estimates globally.

Zopkhito Dual-Commodity Snapshot

Investors should note an important qualification: this is a foreign resource estimate and is not reported in accordance with the JORC Code 2012. A competent person has not done sufficient work to classify it as a Mineral Resource under JORC, and it is uncertain whether the estimate will ultimately be reportable under that standard following further evaluation and exploration. The combination of high-grade gold and high-grade antimony in a single system does, however, differentiate Zopkhito from single-commodity peers and underpins the economic rationale for progressing toward a formal JORC MRE.

Drilling extends mineralisation beyond historical boundaries

The 2026 programme consists of two parallel workstreams: surface diamond drilling targeting Vein 6, and underground core sampling from Adits 51 and 118. Three distinct vein systems were tested underground:

  • Vein 10 (Adit 51): Showed significant gold values with intermittent antimony grades across six holes
  • Vein 50 (Adit 118): Returned gold up to 5.9g/t over 25cm within the vein structure, with antimony grading 1.93% over 86cm
  • Vein 61 (Adit 118): Tested in this programme

Critically, Veins 50 and 61 sit outside the existing foreign resource estimate. Their mineralisation points to a broader system than the historically defined areas, opening the possibility of additional resources beyond what Soviet-era exploration had delineated. Surface drilling also validated the geological model, intersecting mineralised veins exactly where targeted — consistent with historical mapping from the Soviet era of exploration.

Mark Major, CEO, Krakatoa Resources

“These initial results continue to demonstrate the scale and high-grade mineralisation of the Zopkhito deposit. Following on from last year, where we tested the system, this year we are extending our drilling focus targeting areas within the geological model that extend the footprint of the historical resource model. Surface drilling has successfully intersected the mineralised veins in the areas we had targeted, supporting our modelled mineralisation trends established using the historical data from the Soviet era of exploration. This will add considerable elements for the future conversion of the Foreign Resource to a JORC system. There is clearly a major antimony and gold mineral system here. The identification of such mineralisation at Vein 50, which sits outside the foreign estimate highlights the potential for a broader mineralised system beyond the historically defined areas. Like the 2025 results, the current results are consistent with historical data and support the high-grade analogue. The project is now positioned for further exploration success and future resource delineation later in the year.”

JORC conversion and what comes next for Krakatoa

The overarching objective of the 2026 programme is to convert the current foreign resource estimate into a JORC 2012 standard Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE). That conversion represents the single most significant de-risking milestone on the near-term horizon for investors, transforming a Soviet-era resource into a globally recognised standard.

The Zopkhito drilling restart earlier in 2026 laid the operational groundwork for this first assay batch, with the programme designed from the outset to run surface diamond holes and underground core sampling in parallel across the known vein systems.

The near-term pipeline is structured as follows:

  1. Two further assay batches currently at the ALS laboratory in Turkey — results to be reported on receipt, maintaining active news flow
  2. Surface and underground coring continuing across the project
  3. Geological reconnaissance expected within the next few months, targeting the Sagebi antimony and tungsten area to the southeast, and the Devrushi copper zone to the southwest — both within the licence boundary
  4. Metallurgical sampling collection has commenced, with optimisation test work and studies intended to begin in October
  5. Environmental baseline studies and permitting activities progressing concurrently to support future project advancement

Each element serves a distinct purpose. The ongoing assay pipeline sustains news flow between now and resource conversion. Metallurgical work and permitting underpin development readiness. Reconnaissance at Sagebi and Devrushi has the potential to expand the project footprint well beyond Zopkhito’s known zones.

It is important to note that a JORC MRE is not imminent. The current programme is designed to support future conversion, not deliver it immediately.

Project infrastructure and strategic location

Zopkhito sits approximately 170km from Kutaisi, Georgia’s second-largest city, with existing rail infrastructure linking to the Black Sea ports of Poti and Batumi. Over 25km of historical Soviet-era adits have already been developed across the project area, reducing the future capital requirements typically associated with early-stage underground access. The mineral licence (valid to 15 March 2042) provides long-dated tenure security, and on 5 June 2026, the licence holder received notice of a two-year extension to the exploration period, providing additional runway for the current programme.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Zopkhito Antimony-Gold Project?

Zopkhito is a dual-commodity exploration project in Georgia operated by ASX-listed Krakatoa Resources (KTA), hosting a foreign resource estimate of 225,000 tonnes at 11.6% antimony and 7.1 million tonnes at 3.7g/t gold — though this estimate is not yet compliant with the JORC 2012 standard.

Why is antimony considered a critical mineral?

Antimony is classified as a critical mineral by the United States, European Union, and Australia due to its use in flame retardants, batteries, semiconductors, and energy storage, combined with serious supply chain concerns driven by China's dominance of global production.

What did Krakatoa Resources' 2026 Zopkhito drilling results show?

The first 2026 assay batch returned standout intercepts including 1.8m at 11.09g/t Au and 3.56% Sb from DD26ZOP001, and 6.74m at 4.71g/t Au from DD26ZOP004, with peak samples reaching 17.1g/t Au and 15.3% Sb across multiple vein systems.

When will Krakatoa Resources deliver a JORC-compliant resource estimate for Zopkhito?

A JORC 2012 Mineral Resource Estimate is not imminent — the 2026 programme is designed to support future conversion, with metallurgical test work scheduled to begin in October and additional assay batches, geological reconnaissance, and environmental studies still to be completed.

What other targets does Krakatoa Resources have within the Zopkhito licence area?

Within the same licence boundary, Krakatoa plans geological reconnaissance at the Sagebi antimony and tungsten area to the southeast and the Devrushi copper zone to the southwest, with work expected to begin within the next few months.

William Hadrian
By William Hadrian
Partnerships Director
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