Redcastle Resources Hits 2m at 37g/t Gold as Queen Alexandra Pit Case Builds
Key Takeaways
- The latest Queen Alexandra grade-control batch returned 86 of 127 holes (~68%) with intercepts averaging ≥2.0 g/t Au — a meaningful step up from the cumulative ~58% hit rate across both batches.
- Standout uncut intercepts include 2m @ 37.52 g/t Au (including 1m @ 67.70 g/t Au) and 5m @ 12.47 g/t Au (including 1m @ 46.90 g/t Au), confirming high-grade mineralisation in the southern-to-central QA grid.
- Queen Alexandra outperforms Redcastle Reef on hit rate — 56% of 290 holes returned ≥2.0 g/t Au versus 42% of 345 holes at Redcastle Reef — and hosts the larger, higher-grade of RC1's two 2025 Mineral Resource Estimates at 265 kt @ 3.4 g/t Au for 29 koz.
- The recently granted M39/1171 tenement gives the RB JV flexibility to assess a southern pit expansion, subject to MDCP amendment approval.
- Mining operations remain temporarily suspended while the RB JV assesses alternative processing arrangements, with the grade-control dataset being built specifically to support a return to selective mining.
High-grade gold strengthens Queen Alexandra’s case as a key mine development area
Redcastle Resources (ASX: RC1) has released a second material batch of high-grade RC grade-control assay results from its Queen Alexandra (QA) deposit, further reinforcing the site’s standing within the company’s broader RR–QA development strategy at the Redcastle Gold Project in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields.
The standout uncut downhole intercepts from this batch include:
- BMRC476: 2m @ 37.52 g/t Au from 37m, including 1m @ 67.70 g/t Au from 38m
- BMRC559: 5m @ 12.47 g/t Au from 27m, including 1m @ 46.90 g/t Au from 27m
- BMRC519: 6m @ 8.21 g/t Au from 28m, including 1m @ 36.60 g/t Au from 29m
- BMRC535: 4m @ 9.72 g/t Au from 40m, including 1m @ 25.10 g/t Au from 41m
- BMRC678A: 4m @ 7.00 g/t Au from 24m, including 1m @ 23.00 g/t Au from 25m
All reported intercepts are downhole lengths. True widths have not yet been determined, and gold grades are uncut.
Chairman Dr Ray Shaw
“These results further strengthen our confidence in Queen Alexandra, with higher-grade mineralisation extending to the south towards the recently granted M39/1171. The drilling statistics to date show a similarly strong incidence of significant gold intercepts at Queen Alexandra and Redcastle Reef, reinforcing the importance of both deposits within our broader development strategy. The grant of M39/1171 now provides the Joint Venture with additional flexibility to assess further grade-control drilling and expansion of the Queen Alexandra pit, subject to the necessary approvals and the recommencement of field operations.”
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What grade-control drilling is and why it matters for investors
RC (reverse circulation) grade-control drilling uses a tight drill spacing to construct a highly detailed picture of where high-grade ore sits within a deposit. Unlike broader exploration drilling, which aims to identify and define a resource across a wide area, grade-control drilling zooms in to the mine scale, providing the data miners need to separate ore from waste efficiently.
Here is why that distinction matters for investors following RC1:
- Close-spaced data builds precision: Grade-control drilling is designed to give mine planners a metre-by-metre picture of gold distribution, rather than a broad estimate.
- It is a direct precursor to mining: Without this data, operations cannot efficiently control dilution or target selective mining. The dataset being assembled at QA is a prerequisite for resuming efficient operations.
- Short-term mine planning depends on it: The close-spaced assay coverage directly informs scheduling and ore-waste boundary decisions when field operations recommence.
- Results validate the existing resource model: Intercepts that align with the geological interpretation used in the 2025 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) give investors confidence that what is in the ground matches what was reported.
Drilling dataset builds a compelling picture across both deposits
QA versus Redcastle Reef — how the numbers stack up
Queen Alexandra is located approximately 700m west of Redcastle Reef and, on the key metric that matters for mine confidence, it outperforms its counterpart. Of 290 holes drilled at QA, 161 (~56%) returned at least one intercept of ≥2.0 g/t Au, compared to 144 (~42%) of 345 holes at Redcastle Reef. QA also hosts the larger and higher-grade of RC1’s two 2025 Mineral Resource Estimates.
| Statistic | Redcastle Reef | Queen Alexandra | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holes drilled | 345 | 290 | |
| Metres drilled | 14,081 | 11,376 | |
| Average depth (m) | 41 | 39 | |
| Holes with ≥1 intercept ≥2.0 g/t Au | 144 (~42%) | 161 (~56%) | QA outperforms on hit rate |
Current batch results in context
The newly reported assay batch adds significant scale and confidence to the cumulative QA dataset. Key figures from this batch and the combined programme include:
The 8,810m Queen Alexandra grade-control programme documented the full spatial coverage of the QA deposit before this second assay batch was released, establishing the baseline drilling density that underpins the current model refinement work.
- Current batch: 127 RC grade-control holes for 4,449m
- Combined QA dataset (both batches): 265 holes for 8,834m
- 86 of 127 holes in this batch (~68%) returned intercepts averaging ≥2.0 g/t Au
- Cumulative: 153 of 265 holes (~58%) returned at least one significant intercept ≥2.0 g/t Au
- Coverage footprint: approximately 13,500m² across the southern-to-central QA grid and selected northern areas
- QA 2025 MRE (previously reported, ASX: RC1, 30 June 2025): 265 kt @ 3.4 g/t Au for 29 koz
The ~68% hit rate in the current batch is a meaningful step up from the cumulative ~58% figure, suggesting the drilling is concentrating in zones of stronger gold endowment as coverage of the southern-to-central grid matures.
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What comes next — pit expansion, model refinement, and the path to resumed mining
Mining operations at the Redcastle Gold Project are temporarily suspended while the RB JV assesses alternative processing arrangements (ASX: RC1, 31 August 2026). The QA grade-control dataset being assembled is designed to directly support selective mining, ore-waste definition, dilution control, and short-term mine planning upon resumption.
Gold mining commencement at the Eastern Goldfields project established the operational baseline that the current suspension and processing reassessment is measured against, with the grade-control dataset now being built to support a return to that same selective mining framework.
The company’s four-point next steps programme is structured as a logical progression toward that resumption, and potentially toward pit expansion:
- Integrate the complete validated QA assay dataset with geological logging and sectional interpretation to further refine the grade-control model, including the QA Big Pit crossing into the recently granted M39/1171 (ASX: RC1, 4 September 2026)
- Review mining and grade-control reconciliation from mining completed to date, and assess whether targeted local drilling is needed to resolve remaining grade or geological uncertainty
- Plan for further grade-control drilling within the QA southern extension, subject to the required MDCP amendment
- Progressively incorporate the updated grade-control interpretation into mine planning, covering lode geometry, ore-waste boundaries, selective mining, and dilution control
The recently granted M39/1171 tenement is strategically significant here. It gives the RB JV the flexibility to assess extension of the QA pit to the south, subject to submission and approval of the required MDCP amendment.
Redcastle Resources Ltd (ASX: RC1) is a Western Australia-based emerging gold company with a strategically located Eastern Goldfields tenement portfolio covering approximately 150.72 km². The company’s principal assets are Queen Alexandra and Redcastle Reef, both of which host JORC 2012-compliant 2025 Mineral Resource Estimates, with additional exploration upside across the Kilkenny Belt Package, over which RC1 holds a contractual right to earn a 60% interest under the Kilkenny Earn-In and Joint Venture Agreement.
Ready to Learn More About Redcastle Resources’ Queen Alexandra Deposit?
High-grade intercepts of up to 67.70 g/t Au and a ~68% hit rate in the current drilling batch signal that Queen Alexandra is emerging as a compelling development asset within the RR–QA strategy at the Redcastle Gold Project. With a newly granted tenement providing southern pit expansion flexibility and grade-control data being built to support a return to selective mining, the operational picture is sharpening.
Explore the full details of RC1’s grade-control programme and the strategic case for the Queen Alexandra deposit by visiting the Redcastle Resources investor profile on Discovery Alert.