Perpetual Resources Reviews 7m at 1.95% Tungsten in Nevada Historical Data
Key Takeaways
- 22 of 42 reviewed historical holes (52%) returned intervals at or above the 0.2% WO₃ threshold, with standout intercepts including 7.01m at 1.95% WO₃ and 3.81m at 2.01% WO₃ from the 1968 Union Carbide drilling campaigns.
- The reviewed tranche represents only approximately 10% of the known drilling archive, which contains more than 400 historical sample points — meaning the bulk of the data set is yet to be digitised and assessed.
- Historical production grades at Nevada Scheelite averaged 1.1% WO₃ between 1937 and 1957, well above the global deposit norm of 0.2%–0.5% WO₃, providing a meaningful benchmark for the intercepts now being recovered from the archive.
- Perpetual plans to integrate validated data into a 3D geological model within four weeks, with three priority drill targets identified including an untested deep contact dip reversal below the 500 Level.
- All results are unverified historical exploration data transcribed from Union Carbide archives — they do not establish a Mineral Resource, and true widths remain unknown pending modern field validation and core re-assay.
Perpetual uncovers multiple high-grade tungsten intercepts at Nevada Scheelite
Perpetual Resources (ASX: PEC) has reviewed the first tranche of historical drilling data from its Nevada Scheelite Tungsten Project in Mineral County, Nevada, USA. 22 of 42 reviewed holes (52%) returned reported historical intervals at or above the 0.2% WO₃ threshold — a meaningful proportion that suggests systematic grade distribution across the drilled zones.
Nevada Scheelite is a past-producing tungsten mine with historical average production grades of approximately 1.1% WO₃ between 1937 and 1957. Perpetual is advancing its option to acquire the patented claim blocks encompassing the historical mine. These are unverified historical Exploration Results, do NOT establish a Mineral Resource, and geological continuity is not asserted. This is a review of past-operator (Union Carbide) archives, not a new discovery.
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The standout historical intercepts
The highest-grade digitised intervals from the 1968 campaigns are presented below. This tranche represents only approximately 10% of the known drilling archive (400+ sample points). Results are transcribed from typed archival compilations, lacking QA/QC, and true widths are unknown.
| Hole ID | Interval (m) | Grade (% WO₃) | Downhole From–To (m) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-DH-02 | 7.01 | 1.95 | 5.55–12.56 | 0005817_UCC.pdf |
| 4-DH-11 | 7.59 | 1.50 | 28.35–35.94 | 0005817_UCC.pdf |
| 5-DH-09 | 8.60 | 1.10 | 14.87–23.47 | 0005817_UCC.pdf |
| 5-DH-07 | 5.49 | 1.54 | 8.84–14.33 | 0005817_UCC.pdf |
| 5-DH-03 | 3.81 | 2.01 | 21.79–25.60 | 0005817_UCC.pdf |
| 5-DH-06 | 0.61 | 3.10 | 57.82–58.43 | 0005817_UCC.pdf |
Note: Intervals are downhole lengths; true widths unknown.
These results are broadly consistent with the previously reported historical result of 8.2m at 2.40% WO₃ from Hole G-17 (ASX announcement 17 June 2026).
What tungsten is and why these grades matter
Tungsten (chemical symbol W, reported as WO₃ — tungsten trioxide) is a critical mineral prized for its extreme hardness and the highest melting point of all metals. It is essential in cutting tools, drill bits, and aerospace components, and plays a growing role in new-energy supply chains (electric vehicle motors, wind turbines) and defence applications (kinetic penetrators, armour-piercing ammunition).
Nevada Scheelite hosts tactite (skarn) mineralisation — tungsten-bearing zones formed along the contact between a granodiorite intrusion and Triassic-Jurassic limestone. When hot, mineral-rich fluids from the granodiorite interacted with the limestone, they deposited scheelite (calcium tungstate) in narrow, high-grade zones at the contact.
Why ~1% WO₃ grades are high-grade: Global tungsten deposits typically range from 0.2% to 0.5% WO₃. Grades above 1% WO₃ are considered high-grade and historically supported economic mining at Nevada Scheelite. The 1.1% WO₃ historical production average sits well above global norms.
What this means for you: Nevada Scheelite sits in a tier-one mining jurisdiction (Nevada), holds exposure to a critical mineral with strategic demand drivers, and has returned multiple high-grade historical intercepts. That combination matters if the historical data can be validated and extended. Results remain unverified, but the grade profile and jurisdictional setting differentiate this project from early-stage greenfield exploration.
Strategic significance of tungsten exposure:
- Hardness: Tungsten carbide is the material of choice for cutting tools, mining drill bits, and industrial machining.
- Defence demand: Tungsten is irreplaceable in kinetic energy penetrators and armour-piercing munitions.
- Critical-minerals classification: Listed as a critical mineral by the US, EU, and Australia due to supply concentration and strategic importance.
- New-energy supply chains: Essential in high-efficiency electric motors, wind turbine gearboxes, and heavy-duty applications where alternatives cannot match performance.
Data validation and how the archive stacks up
Perpetual used two data-capture methods: drill log conversion (transcription of tabulated historical drill-log summary tables) and section-plan interpretation (preliminary transcription from historical drawings). Section-plan-derived values are less certain and have not been reported as quantitative results unless independently reconciled to a tabulated primary record.
Collar and downhole survey data have been confirmed for 29 of 42 holes (69%), and mineralised intervals have been reconciled for 22 holes. 13 holes have been excluded pending collar/survey confirmation. Four twin holes (U-DH-01, U-DH-02, U-DH-03, U-DH-04) have collar/survey data inferred from confirmed twin associations (5-DH-01, 5-DH-02, 5-DH-03, 5-DH-04).
Competent Person Mr Jonathan King reviewed original Union Carbide Corporation reports (0005817UCC.pdf, 0006182UCC.pdf). The Competent Person’s review confirms the digitised data “fairly represents the historical source records; it does not constitute independent verification.” That distinction is critical. The data has been cross-checked for internal consistency, but it has not been independently verified through modern drilling, re-assay, or field validation.
Historical core remains in on-site storage and at Fallon, Nevada facilities. Perpetual plans to audit surviving core and conduct modern re-assay for QA/QC verification.
Tranche status snapshot:
- 42 holes reviewed (~10% of archive)
- 29 holes with confirmed collar/survey (69%)
- 22 mineralised holes ≥0.2% WO₃
- 13 holes excluded pending validation
Building the 3D model and priority drill targets
Historical cross-sections, level plans, and mine records will feed an integrated 3D geological model of the granodiorite-limestone contact. That model will prioritise modern validation and step-out drilling.
Target concepts identified:
- North-contact intrusive “overhang” geometries: Historical mine plans show higher-grade ore shoots were preferentially localised around north-contact intrusive overhangs, where structural traps focused hydrothermal fluid flow and scheelite deposition.
- Deep contact dip reversal below the 500 Level: This zone remains untested by modern drilling and represents a priority extension target.
- Northeast embayment along the Turtle/Tungsten claim boundary: Minimal historical exploration coverage, offering potential for discovery of parallel mineralised zones.
Julian Babarczy, Executive Chairman
“Nevada Scheelite is a past-producing tungsten mine with a historical production grade of around 1.1% WO₃, and this first tranche of analysis of historical drilling adds multiple encouraging high-grade data points across the known skarn system. The broader archive contains more than 400 historical sample points, providing a substantial body of additional technical information for review. While these historical results require modern validation, they provide a strong foundation for our 3D geological model and future drilling to test the potential for mineralisation to continue along the skarn contact and at depth.”
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What comes next for Perpetual
The Company expects to complete the following work in the near term:
- Complete digitisation and validation of remaining historical database — expected in coming weeks
- Recover collar coordinates and downhole survey data via modern surveys
- Physical audit of surviving historical core for re-assay and QA/QC
- Integrate validated data into a 3D geological model — expected within four weeks
- Use the model to prioritise and design a validation and resource-definition drilling programme
Further updates are expected as more of the archive is validated. These steps are designed to convert historical data into a verified foundation for modern resource estimation, but they do not imply resource confirmation or economic viability at this stage.
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