Right Resources Secures Approvals for Maiden Blue Tungsten-Gold Drilling
Key Takeaways
- Right Resources has secured Forestry Corporation of NSW Level 2 Permit and NSW Resources Regulator clearance in August 2026, with maiden drilling at the Blue tungsten-gold prospect scheduled to commence September 2026.
- The fully funded first-stage programme comprises approximately 2,000m across 60 aircore holes, testing six primary tungsten anomalies and five gold target areas across a surface footprint exceeding 4.7km x 3.4km.
- Regulatory approvals cover up to 120 aircore holes and 20 RC or diamond holes to 500m depth, giving the company headroom for deeper follow-up drilling without resubmitting applications.
- Surface rock-chip sampling returned peak grades of 4.3% WO₃ and 1.19 g/t Au, while metallurgical sighter testwork produced a flotation result of 27.0% WO₃ at 87.3% recovery from a composite surface sample.
- Assay results will be released progressively through the December Quarter 2026, with second-stage drilling on EL9889 — the interpreted western extension — also planned for the same period.
Right Resources secures approvals for fully funded maiden drilling at Blue tungsten-gold prospect
Right Resources has secured all regulatory approvals required to commence maiden drilling at its Blue tungsten-gold prospect in New South Wales, marking the transition from surface exploration to drill-ready testing. The company received Forestry Corporation of NSW Level 2 Permit approval and Assessable Prospecting Operation clearance from the NSW Resources Regulator in August 2026, with drilling scheduled to begin September 2026 on exploration licence EL9028.
The fully funded first-stage programme comprises approximately 2,000m across 60 aircore holes, designed to test whether surface tungsten-bismuth-gold anomalism identified during 2026 persists below surface. This represents the first stage of a previously announced ~3,000m drilling campaign at the prospect, located approximately 22km north of Tumbarumba.
Managing Director Graham Howard stated the programme marks “a major milestone for Right Resources” but emphasised the reconnaissance nature of the work: “this maiden programme will only test the very shallow portion of the mineralised system, with drilling focused on evaluating the geological controls, orientation and continuity of mineralisation.”
No drilling has been completed at Blue to date. The programme will provide the first direct subsurface geological and assay data from a prospect where surface exploration has outlined an interpreted mineralised footprint exceeding 4.7km x 3.4km.
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What the approvals unlock
The regulatory clearances permit a broader scope of work than the initial programme, providing runway for follow-up drilling without restarting the permitting process.
The approvals permit:
- Up to 120 aircore holes to depths of 30m–50m along existing access tracks within the softwood plantation
- Up to 20 reverse circulation and/or diamond drill holes to a maximum depth of 500m (not part of the initial programme; to be considered after first-stage results)
- Initial programme: ~60 aircore holes for ~2,000m
- No preparatory earthworks planned for the first-pass programme
The broad approval envelope means Right Resources has regulatory headroom for deeper follow-up drilling without resubmitting applications. Reverse circulation or diamond drilling to 500m depth would only be pursued if first-stage aircore results justify systematic follow-up.
A large-scale tungsten-bismuth-gold system being tested
Surface exploration during 2026 defined an interpreted mineralised footprint of more than 4.7km x 3.4km, anchored by a dominant northwest-trending tungsten-bismuth-gold corridor extending approximately 5km in strike and up to 1.5km in width. Laboratory analysis of 259 soil samples collected on a nominal 200m x 200m grid identified six primary and seven lower-order tungsten anomalies, together with five gold target areas associated with elevated bismuth.
Rock-chip sampling returned tungsten grades of up to 4.3% WO₃ and gold grades of up to 1.19 g/t Au, though the company notes these are selective samples and not necessarily representative of average mineralisation across the prospect. Road-cutting exposures across the project area show extensive quartz veining containing low levels of sulphide minerals, including pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite, together with observed scheelite and reported gold mineralisation. Several exposures show quartz veining continuing to approximately 10m below surface.
A metallurgical composite surface sample from Blue returned a head grade of 0.48% WO₃. Subsequent sighter testwork produced a leading rougher flotation result of 27.0% WO₃ at 87.3% recovery. The company states these results provide a basis for further testwork but do not establish a processing flowsheet and may not represent metallurgical variability across the broader prospect.
The geological and geochemical characteristics observed to date support the company’s interpretation that Blue may form part of a reduced intrusion-related gold system (RIRGS) with a tungsten-bismuth-gold association. This interpretation remains to be tested by drilling.
| Parameter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Interpreted mineralised footprint | >4.7km x 3.4km | Based on soil geochemistry and surface mapping |
| Dominant tungsten-bismuth-gold corridor | ~5km strike, up to 1.5km width | Northwest-trending structure |
| Peak rock-chip WO₃ | **4.3% WO₃** | Selective sample; not representative |
| Peak rock-chip Au | **1.19 g/t Au** | Associated with elevated bismuth |
| Metallurgical head grade WO₃ | **0.48% WO₃** | Single composite surface sample |
Despite the scale of the surface footprint, the maiden drilling programme is a reconnaissance campaign that will test only the upper approximately 30m to 50m of selected targets. The programme is not designed to define a Mineral Resource.
Understanding tungsten and RIRGS — why this matters
Tungsten is classified as a critical mineral due to its industrial applications requiring extreme hardness and high melting points, including cutting tools, aerospace components, and defence equipment. Supply concentration concerns have elevated tungsten’s strategic significance in recent years.
A reduced intrusion-related gold system (RIRGS) refers to a geological setting where granite intrusions can host both tungsten and gold mineralisation together. The company interprets bismuth as an important pathfinder for gold-bearing parts of the system and as a vector for refining drill targets within the broader mineralised footprint. Aircore drilling is a fast, shallow, cost-effective reconnaissance technique used for first-pass testing of targets before committing to deeper, more expensive methods. A successful first-stage result — identifying subsurface tungsten and/or gold mineralisation with sufficient continuity — would justify systematic follow-up drilling and potentially advance the project toward resource definition.
The drill targets and what success looks like
The initial reconnaissance programme will use the existing road network within the softwood plantation to access selected parts of the six primary tungsten anomalies and five gold targets. No preparatory earthworks are planned for this first-pass programme.
The drilling will follow this technical approach:
- Wide-spaced drilling using a Wallis Mantis 80 aircore rig, with holes generally targeting the upper 30m–50m
- Subject to site conditions and approvals, selected holes may be extended to the rig’s maximum capacity of approximately 70m
- The programme will trial Wallis’s proprietary aircore bit, which contains no tungsten in the cutting head, reducing the risk of tungsten contamination in drill samples
- Three primary mineralisation trends will be tested: the dominant northwest corridor plus subsidiary northeast and east-northeast trends
Graham Howard, Managing Director
“The commencement of drilling at Blue marks a major milestone for Right Resources. Over the past year we have systematically advanced Blue from a regional exploration concept into a drill-ready project with a large-scale tungsten-bismuth-gold mineralised footprint. Importantly, this maiden programme will only test the very shallow portion of the mineralised system, with drilling focused on evaluating the geological controls, orientation and continuity of mineralisation. We believe Blue represents a significant exploration opportunity and look forward to delivering results to shareholders throughout the December Quarter.”
Success in this first stage would comprise the identification of subsurface tungsten and/or gold mineralisation with sufficient continuity and geological continuity to justify systematic follow-up drilling. The programme aims to determine whether the surface tungsten, bismuth and gold anomalism and mapped quartz-vein trends persist below surface, and to provide initial information on grade tenor, geometry and continuity.
What’s next and when
Right Resources has outlined a clear forward roadmap with defined timelines and funding certainty for the initial phase.
The company’s immediate priorities are:
- September 2026: First-stage aircore drilling commences (~2,000m / ~60 holes) — fully funded
- December Quarter 2026: Assay results released progressively, subject to drilling progress and laboratory turnaround times
- December Quarter 2026: Second-stage drilling planned on EL9889 (interpreted western extension), subject to approvals and refinement using first-stage results
The company will continue to assess strategic partnership opportunities with parties experienced in critical minerals and precious metals development. Any partnership would be considered in the context of the technical results and the company’s preferred pathway for further drilling, metallurgical studies and, if warranted, resource definition. No binding partnership agreement has been entered into at the date of this announcement.
The fully funded status of the first stage removes near-term financing risk for execution. A steady news flow of assay results through the December Quarter provides multiple potential catalysts for investors tracking the project.
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The investment case in brief
Blue represents a large-scale tungsten-bismuth-gold exploration opportunity with a surface footprint exceeding 4.7km x 3.4km, a critical mineral component, gold optionality, a fully funded maiden drilling programme scheduled to commence September 2026, and a defined catalyst calendar through the December Quarter 2026. The prospect remains early-stage with no drilling completed to date and no Mineral Resource defined. The maiden programme will test whether surface anomalism persists at depth and provide the first subsurface geological and assay data from the project.
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