TG Metals Drilling Van Uden to Potentially Double Laterite Gold Resource
Key Takeaways
- TG Metals is mobilising a 689-hole aircore drilling program totalling approximately 4,150m at the Van Uden Gold Project, targeting extensions of the existing 17,700oz laterite resource with each hole drilled to a shallow 6m depth.
- The program is designed to potentially double the current laterite resource, supported by July 2026 auger drilling that confirmed gold mineralisation across a footprint comparable in scale to the existing resource.
- Recent heap leach testwork has returned recoveries of 90%+, a commercially significant result that underpins the low-capital development pathway TG Metals is pursuing via a scoping study expected to be released shortly.
- TG Metals holds an 80% interest in Van Uden and has commenced early-stage discussions for non-dilutive financing to fund potential capital costs — though no binding agreement is in place.
- The total Van Uden resource across all material types stands at 270,800oz Au at 1.06g/t, providing a substantial broader resource base behind the near-term laterite heap leach focus.
Drilling set to begin at Van Uden as TG Metals targets near-term, low-cost gold production
An aircore drilling program is mobilising to the Van Uden Gold Project in Western Australia, with TG Metals (ASX: TG6) targeting extensions of its surface-hosted laterite gold resource. The program, announced on 17 September 2026, runs alongside the finalisation of a scoping study into heap leach gold processing at the project, which TG Metals holds an 80% interest in.
The drilling program comprises 689 vertical drillholes totalling approximately 4,150m, with each hole planned to a shallow depth of approximately 6m. The program is expected to run for 21 to 28 days. The existing laterite resource at Van Uden currently stands at 1Mt at 0.52g/t for 17,700oz Au, as established in the April 2026 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE). Recent testwork has returned recoveries of 90%+ via simple heap leach processing.
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Understanding laterite heap leach gold — why it matters for investors
Laterite gold mineralisation sits at or near the surface, in oxidised, weathered material that has been broken down over time. Because it is near-ground and already chemically altered, it does not require deep drilling or complex processing to extract gold from it.
Heap leach is a low-cost processing method well suited to this type of ore. The mined material is stacked on a lined pad, a solution is applied that dissolves the gold, and the gold-bearing liquid is then collected and processed. The process requires significantly less capital than conventional milling.
A 90%+ recovery rate from a straightforward heap leach is a commercially meaningful result for a deposit of this type. For a small-cap explorer like TG Metals, a low capital expenditure pathway to production reduces the financing requirement and shortens the distance between resource definition and potential revenue generation.
Drilling designed to potentially double the laterite resource
The target area for the current aircore program was identified through auger drilling reported in the ASX announcement dated 9 July 2026, which confirmed gold mineralisation across a footprint approximately the same size as the existing laterite resource footprint. On that basis, the program is aimed at potentially doubling the current laterite resource — though this is a target, not a confirmed outcome.
The Van Uden extension discovery established that gold mineralisation extends across a footprint comparable in scale to the existing resource, providing the geological basis for the current aircore program’s resource-doubling target.
Equipment selected for the program includes a Landcruiser-mounted drill rig and a Morooka tracked support vehicle, chosen to minimise ground disturbance across the site. Samples will be collected every metre downhole, assayed by the Photon method, and fed directly into an updated MRE for the laterite material type.
CEO David Selfe
“With the Scoping Study on the Van Uden heap leach being finalised, this next phase of drilling will aim to substantially increase the laterite resource and expand the life of the proposed heap leach. Combining on-site heap leach processing with off-site Ore Purchase agreements for the bulk of the defined resource, will enable the Company to realise the full potential of the Van Uden gold project whilst deploying low capital expenditure development.”
The table below summarises the current Van Uden MRE by material type, as reported in Appendix A of the announcement (April 2026):
| Material Type | Tonnes | Grade (g/t Au) | Gold (oz) | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laterite | 886,000 (Indicated) + 167,000 (Inferred) | 0.56 / 0.33 | 15,900 + 1,800 = 17,700 | Indicated + Inferred |
| Oxide | 1,976,000 + 414,000 | 1.15 / 0.91 | 73,300 + 12,100 = 85,400 | Indicated + Inferred |
| Transition | 1,115,000 + 740,000 | 1.07 / 1.01 | 38,300 + 24,100 = 62,400 | Indicated + Inferred |
| Fresh | 580,000 + 2,057,000 | 1.35 / 1.21 | 25,100 + 80,200 = 105,300 | Indicated + Inferred |
| Total | 7,935,000 | 1.06 | 270,800 | Indicated + Inferred |
Source: Van Uden Gold Deposit MRE, April 2026 (JORC Code 2012). Minor discrepancies may occur due to rounding.
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What’s next for TG Metals at Van Uden
TG Metals has outlined several near-term milestones across its Van Uden and Lake Johnston projects:
- Drilling results to feed directly into an updated laterite MRE
- Finalisation and release of the Scoping Study into heap leach gold processing at Van Uden (described as expected “shortly”)
- Advancement of a definitive Ore Purchase and Profit Share agreement (described as advancing)
- Further Flora and Fauna surveys this spring to advance the proposed Heap Leach project
- Diamond drill core drilling at the Burmeister lithium deposit at Lake Johnston to conclude in September
On the financing side, TG Metals has confirmed that early-stage discussions have commenced for non-dilutive financing solutions to fund potential capital costs associated with the Van Uden Heap Leach Project. The company has been explicit that there is no certainty these discussions will result in a binding agreement.
TG Metals operates across two Western Australian projects: the 80%-owned Van Uden Gold Project, which is the current operational focus, and the wholly owned Lake Johnston Project, which hosts the Burmeister high-grade lithium deposit alongside the Jaegermeister lithium pegmatites and surrounding prospects.
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