Prodigy Gold Confirms High-Grade Tanami Results With 98.8% Accuracy Test
Key Takeaways
- Across 27 select high-grade RC samples, Fire Assay averaged 11.56g/t Au against PhotonAssay's 11.57g/t Au — a 0.1% difference with an R² of ~98.8%, independently confirming the reliability of Prodigy Gold's 2025 drilling results.
- The Tregony Deposit's standout interval averaged 29.4g/t Au by Fire Assay and 28.9g/t Au by PhotonAssay across three consecutive one-metre samples, with a peak individual result of 40.1g/t Au.
- Suess lode sample PG062395 returned an identical 16.7g/t Au by both methods, while Hyperion lode results also demonstrated strong repeatability across the grade range tested.
- The two deposits directly validated — Hyperion (454Koz) and Tregony (80Koz) — sit within Prodigy Gold's total 1.05Moz Mineral Resource of 24Mt at 1.4g/t Au across Tanami North and Twin Bonanza.
- Further drilling at Hyperion and Tregony is anticipated in the upcoming field season, with mining studies on both projects ongoing as part of the company's five-year strategic plan.
PhotonAssay confirms high-grade gold results at Prodigy Gold’s Tanami North Project
Prodigy Gold NL (ASX: PRX) has completed a Chrysos PhotonAssay check programme on 27 select high-grade RC samples from its 2025 drilling campaigns at the Tanami North Project. The headline result is compelling in its precision: across the full 27-sample dataset, Fire Assay averaged 11.56g/t Au against PhotonAssay’s 11.57g/t Au, a difference of just 0.1%, with an R² of approximately 98.8%.
This is confirmatory news rather than a new discovery. The programme was designed to independently verify previously reported high-grade results, and that is exactly what it has done.
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Q1 FY27 QAQC results: what the numbers show
The standout result came from the Tregony Deposit. Drill hole TGRC25007 returned three consecutive one-metre samples between 59m and 62m depth, averaging 29.4g/t Au by Fire Assay and 28.9g/t Au by PhotonAssay, a difference of approximately 1.7%. The peak individual result within that interval was 40.1g/t Au by Fire Assay versus 41.6g/t Au by PhotonAssay.
Results from the Suess lodes were equally impressive. Sample PG062395 from SURC25005 at 43–44m returned exactly 16.7g/t Au by both methods, an identical result. The adjacent hole SURC25006 returned 20.8g/t Au by Fire Assay versus 20.9g/t Au by PhotonAssay at 86–87m. The Hyperion lodes also demonstrated good repeatability, with HYRC25004 at 134–135m returning 13.5g/t Au by Fire Assay and 13.1g/t Au by PhotonAssay.
The table below presents a selection of representative samples from Table 1 of the source announcement, covering the grade range across all three deposit areas.
| Hole ID | Depth (m From–To) | Fire Assay (g/t Au) | PhotonAssay (g/t Au) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TGRC25007 | 59–60 | 23.1 | 20.8 | -10.0% |
| TGRC25007 | 60–61 | 25.1 | 24.4 | -2.8% |
| TGRC25007 | 61–62 | 40.1 | 41.6 | 3.7% |
| SURC25005 | 43–44 | 16.7 | 16.7 | 0.0% |
| SURC25006 | 86–87 | 20.8 | 20.9 | 0.5% |
| HYRC25004 | 133–134 | 9.51 | 9.31 | -2.1% |
| HYRC25004 | 134–135 | 13.5 | 13.1 | -3.0% |
| SURC25002 | 36–37 | 15.0 | 15.1 | 0.7% |
What is PhotonAssay, and why does it matter to gold investors?
PhotonAssay is a non-destructive analytical technique originally developed by CSIRO. It uses high-energy photons (X-rays) to interact with gold atoms within a sample, producing characteristic gamma-ray emissions that are measured to determine gold content. No chemicals are required, and crucially, the original sample is preserved.
The key technical distinction from conventional Fire Assay comes down to sample mass. The previous Prodigy Gold PhotonAssay programme used approximately 500 grams per sample compared to the 40–50 grams used in Fire Assay. That size difference matters significantly when gold is not evenly distributed through a sample.
Here is how the two methods compare:
- Sample mass: PhotonAssay ~500g versus Fire Assay ~40–50g
- Destructive? PhotonAssay is non-destructive; Fire Assay consumes the sample
- Best suited for: PhotonAssay is particularly valuable where coarse or heterogeneously distributed gold may be present; Fire Assay is the industry standard for database consistency and Mineral Resource estimation
- Role at Tanami North: Fire Assay remains Prodigy Gold’s primary analytical method; PhotonAssay is used selectively as an independent QAQC check
This distinction is particularly relevant at the Hyperion deposit, where the company has previously identified coarse gold within mineralisation. In zones where gold particles are large and unevenly distributed, a smaller Fire Assay charge may not fully represent the gold content of the original sample. The PhotonAssay’s larger mass provides an independent check on whether the Fire Assay results are genuinely representative.
Director quote
Mark Edwards, Managing Director, Prodigy Gold
“The 2025 PhotonAssay check program has again returned a strong comparison with our original Fire Assay data. Importantly, the correlation of results across a range of higher grades and across drilling from the Hyperion and Suess lodes at the Hyperion Deposit and six samples from the Tregony Deposit instills confidence in both analytical methods.
The close correlation between the two methods provides an additional level of trust in the higher-grade results generated from the 2025 drilling program. PhotonAssay uses a substantially larger sample mass than conventional Fire Assay and is therefore a useful QAQC tool, particularly where higher-grade or potentially coarse-gold mineralisation is present.
Fire Assay will remain Prodigy Gold’s primary analytical method to maintain consistency with the broader drill database and Mineral Resource estimation process, with PhotonAssay continuing to be used selectively as part of the Company’s QAQC program.”
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What validated grades mean for Prodigy Gold’s 1Moz+ resource base
QAQC validation does not upgrade a Mineral Resource on its own, but what it does is solidify confidence in the grades underpinning one. With an R² of ~98.8% across a grade range of 5.0g/t Au to 40.1g/t Au, investors can have greater assurance that the high-grade results incorporated into Prodigy Gold’s existing resource estimates are reliable.
Prodigy Gold’s total Mineral Resource as at 20 August 2026 stands at approximately 1.05Moz across its Tanami North and Twin Bonanza projects, totalling 24Mt at 1.4g/t Au. The two deposits directly tested in the 2025 QAQC programme are among the most material within that base:
- Hyperion: 9.8Mt at 1.4g/t Au for 454Koz
- Tregony: 2.0Mt at 1.2g/t Au for 80Koz
- Total Mineral Resource (all projects): ~1.05Moz (24Mt at 1.4g/t Au)
Looking ahead, further drilling is anticipated at both the Hyperion and Tregony deposits in the upcoming field season. Mining studies on the Tanami North and Twin Bonanza projects are also ongoing as part of the company’s five-year strategic plan. These QAQC results do not represent a resource upgrade, but they do provide the analytical foundation that supports continued confidence in the grades that define that resource.
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