Red Mountain Launches Systematic Sampling to Define Drill Targets at Pioneer Tungsten
Red Mountain launches systematic sampling to unlock drill targets at Pioneer Tungsten Project
Red Mountain Mining has commenced systematic rock chip sampling at its 100% owned Pioneer Tungsten Project in Montana, USA, designed to define the surface grade, extent, variability and continuity of tungsten mineralisation across two claim areas. The program aims to identify downdip drill targets, marking the transition from reconnaissance exploration to drill-ready site definition. Separately, maiden drilling at the Armidale Antimony-Gold Project in New South Wales is set to commence in the first week of August.
The sampling focuses on the Greenstone and Lost Creek claims—two of three claim areas that collectively comprise Pioneer, alongside the Mammoth claims. Field crews are collecting representative channel samples across 5 metres of outcrop where possible, with grab samples taken where outcrop is discontinuous, along east-west traverses at nominal 50-metre spacing across mapped garnet skarn zones. Additional sampling is planned north of the current Greenstone footprint over an area the company has staked and expects to be granted by end of July 2026.
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What the sampling program is targeting
The systematic program is designed to build on prior reconnaissance results reported on 1 July, which returned 3,159ppm (0.32%) WO₃ from Greenstone and 2,856ppm (0.29%) WO₃ from Mammoth. Lost Creek was not included in that initial sampling. The current work aims to better define the surface mineralisation footprint to identify areas where tungsten-bearing skarn may extend downdip to the east—targets that, subject to positive assay results, will be prioritised for drill testing.
The sampling methodology includes:
- East-west traverses across mapped garnet skarn at nominal 50m spacing
- Representative channel samples across 5m of outcrop where possible
- Grab samples where outcrop is not near-continuous
- Additional sampling north of the current Greenstone footprint over an area staked and expected to be granted by end of July 2026
No new assay results are reported in this announcement—this is a fieldwork update outlining the sampling approach and geological rationale.
The Almonty neighbour — why the address matters
Red Mountain’s Pioneer claims lie immediately adjacent to claims purchased in November 2025 by Almonty Industries (NASDAQ: ALM / TSX: AII / ASX: AII; market cap AU$6.7 billion). The Gentung Tungsten Deposit, which sits within 200 metres of Red Mountain’s Mammoth claims, hosts a mineral resource of 6.83Mt @ 0.315% WO₃.
Significantly, Red Mountain’s best prior reconnaissance grades—0.32% WO₃ at Greenstone and 0.29% WO₃ at Mammoth—are comparable to the Gentung deposit grade. This proximity to a multi-billion-dollar neighbour, combined with comparable surface grades and shared geology, underpins the investment rationale: the potential for Red Mountain to define a resource along the same mineralised contact.
| Location | Best WO₃ Grade | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenstone (RMX) | 0.32% WO₃ | Prior reconnaissance | Now systematically sampled |
| Mammoth (RMX) | 0.29% WO₃ | Prior reconnaissance | Follow-up planned this quarter |
| Gentung (Almonty) | 0.315% WO₃ | 6.83Mt resource | Within 200m of RMX Mammoth |
Tungsten and skarn geology explained
Tungsten is a critical mineral prioritised by Western governments for supply security, used in high-temperature applications, cutting tools, and defence industries. The Pioneer Project targets scheelite (CaWO₄)—a calcium tungstate mineral—within garnet skarn zones.
Skarn mineralisation forms where hot granitic intrusions react with carbonate-rich rocks like limestone. At Pioneer, the Uphill Creek Granodiorite intruded the Snowcrest Range Group limestone, creating high-temperature metamorphic zones where scheelite precipitated alongside garnet (andradite/grossular) and pyroxene (hedenbergite). This geological setting is well-understood and repeatable, meaning mineralisation discovered at surface can often be traced downdip.
The company notes the geology is “relatively simple and well-understood”, supporting the view that Red Mountain can move rapidly to drill testing of downdip extensions, subject to positive analytical results from the current sampling.
Proven ground — historical tungsten production
The Pioneer district has a track record of tungsten production dating to the 1950s, driven by US government strategic metal stockpiling programs:
- Ivanhoe Mine (Brown’s Lake): 567kt @ 0.35% WO₃ produced via open pit from October 1953 to 1957
- Lost Creek Mine: 19kt @ 0.18% WO₃ produced from 1952 to 1956
- Greenstone Mine: 900kg of sorted ore @ 1.2% WO₃ produced during the 1950s
- District total: Estimated 680kt of tungsten ore produced through the 1950s and 1970s
This historical production validates the district’s tungsten endowment and demonstrates that the geological setting has supported economic extraction in the past.
Two catalysts ahead — assays and maiden drilling
Red Mountain anticipates assay results from the current Greenstone and Lost Creek sampling by end of August 2026. If positive, the extent and geometry of surface mineralisation will be used to define downdip targets for drill testing.
Further mapping and sampling is planned at Mammoth during the current quarter (July–September 2026), with results expected to inform follow-up work at that third claim area.
Separately, maiden drilling at the Armidale Antimony-Gold Project in New South Wales is set to commence in the first week of August. The rig was delayed by wet weather at another project, but access tracks are in place and drill sites have been prepared, positioning the company to move directly into testing. The program will comprise up to 32 RC drillholes to a maximum depth of 300 metres at the Oaky Creek antimony prospect.
Pioneer Project Geology
The relatively simple and well-understood geology of the Pioneer Project means that the Company anticipates that it will be able to move rapidly to drill testing of downdip extensions of skarn mineralisation, subject to positive analytical results from the current sampling.
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The investment case
Red Mountain’s dual-jurisdiction critical minerals portfolio offers exposure to US tungsten and Australian antimony-gold, both classified as critical minerals by Western governments. The Pioneer Tungsten Project sits in a Tier-1 district with proven historical production, adjacent to a multi-billion-dollar neighbour holding a 6.83Mt tungsten resource. Red Mountain’s prior reconnaissance grades are comparable to Almonty’s Gentung deposit, and the company is now systematically sampling to define drill targets.
Two near-term catalysts—assay results by end of August from Pioneer and maiden drilling in early August at Armidale—position the company for material updates within the next 4–6 weeks, subject to positive results. The sampling program underway represents the critical step from prospective land package to drill-ready targets, with the geological framework supporting rapid progression to testing if surface results confirm mineralisation continuity.
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