Unity Metals Hits 70m at 1.1g/t Gold Extending Cambodia System to 230m Depth
Key Takeaways
- Hole 26DDCM005 returned 70.4m at 1.1 g/t gold from 195m depth, including a higher-grade zone of 15.4m at 1.8 g/t gold from 250m — sitting approximately 100m below the original discovery hole.
- The result confirms broad, continuous gold mineralisation from surface to at least 230m depth, with the zone remaining open at depth and along strike to the northeast.
- Pending assays from hole 26DDCM007, drilled 20m north of the discovery hole, intersected a strong stockwork quartz-arsenopyrite vein zone with an estimated true width of approximately 40m — results are imminent.
- A 20-hole diamond drilling program totalling 3,250m is planned to commence in October 2026, targeting depth and lateral extensions, historical open pits, and the Small Creek Prospect 1.8km to the south.
- O'Phlay shares the same intrusion-related gold deposit style as Emerald Resources' Okvau Gold Mine — a 1.5Moz deposit located just 63km to the west — and had never been drilled with modern methods before Unity's current program.
O’Phlay delivers 70.4m at 1.1 g/t gold, extending mineralisation to 230m depth
Unity Metals (ASX: UM1) has announced a significant drill result at its O’Phlay Gold Project in Mondulkiri Province, eastern Cambodia. Hole 26DDCM005 returned 70.4m at 1.1 g/t gold from 195m, including 15.4m at 1.8 g/t gold from 250m, sitting approximately 100m beneath the original discovery hole 26DDCM001 (40m at 1.9 g/t gold). The intercept confirms that broad gold mineralisation extends from surface to at least 230m depth, remains open, and a further 20 holes are planned when drilling recommences in October 2026.
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Q1 FY27 drilling confirms broad, continuous gold system at Camp Prospect
This announcement covers results for four holes (26DDCM002 to 005). Hole 26DDCM005 was the first specifically designed to test depth extensions below the discovery hole 26DDCM001. It intersected an extension of the broad zone of gold-bearing massive and stockwork quartz-arsenopyrite veins hosted in diorite, delivering multiple significant intercepts.
Holes 26DDCM002, 003, and 004 returned no significant intersections. In retrospect, 26DDCM003 was located too far west to intersect the northeast-striking, southeast-dipping mineralised zone. 26DDCM004 targeted a separate Induced Polarisation anomaly, and further drilling in that area will focus on the geochemical anomaly to its west and north.
The significant intersections from 26DDCM005 are as follows:
| Hole ID | From (m) | To (m) | Intersection | Regolith Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26DDCM005 | 61.7m | 62.4m | 0.7m @ 4.1 g/t gold | Fresh |
| 26DDCM005 | 178.0m | 187.0m | 9.0m @ 0.5 g/t gold | Fresh |
| 26DDCM005 | 195.0m | 265.4m | 70.4m @ 1.1 g/t gold | Fresh |
| 26DDCM005 (incl.) | 250.0m | 265.4m | 15.4m @ 1.8 g/t gold | Fresh |
Holes 26DDCM002, 003, and 004 each returned no significant intersections.
Assays for hole 26DDCM007, drilled 20m north of 26DDCM001 and 005, are pending. It intersected a strong stockwork quartz-arsenopyrite vein zone from 86.0m to 144.2m downhole, with a true width of approximately 40m, signalling further potential along the northeast trend.
Craig Mackay, Founder and Managing Director
“We have received another exciting gold intersection from the O’Phlay Project. The new intercept of 70.4m @ 1.1 g/t gold in hole 26DDCM005 confirms the broad gold mineralisation we discovered in hole 26DDCM001 which extends from surface to a depth of greater than 230m and remains open, with a very solid true width to the interpreted mineralisation. Further holes are now planned to test for lateral and depth extensions to this highly significant mineralisation.”
What is intrusion-related gold and why does it matter at O’Phlay?
Intrusion-related gold (IRG) is a style of mineralisation where gold forms in association with igneous intrusions (in this case, diorite). It typically creates broad zones of stockwork veining and massive quartz-arsenopyrite veins rather than narrow, high-grade shoots, meaning the gold is distributed across significant widths and depths.
That geometry is what makes IRG systems attractive to investors. The broad, consistent nature of the mineralisation lends itself to large, bulk-tonnage gold deposits. O’Phlay’s confirmed zone already has a true width of approximately 45–50m, steeply dipping to the southeast, and remains open at depth.
The key geological characteristics confirmed at O’Phlay so far are:
- Mineralisation strikes to the northeast and dips steeply to the southeast
- The zone extends from surface to at least 230m depth and remains open
- Mineralisation is associated with kilometre-scale northeast-trending magnetic anomalies
- Gold-bearing veins are hosted within a diorite intrusion
This is the same deposit style as Unity’s Ngot Gold Project and Emerald Resources’ Okvau Gold Mine, a 1.5Moz deposit located 60km to the west that is the largest gold mine in Cambodia. Okvau shares a licence boundary with Unity’s Ngot project. Critically, despite the evident historical open-pit and underground gold mining at O’Phlay, no modern drilling had ever been conducted there prior to Unity’s current program.
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20 holes planned as Unity maps a much larger target footprint
Drilling at O’Phlay is expected to recommence in October 2026 following approximately one month of downtime for monsoon season and rig maintenance. A flow of assay results is anticipated during the December Quarter. The planned program comprises 20 diamond holes totalling 3,250m.
The program will target multiple areas across the project:
- Depth and lateral extensions to the existing Camp Prospect stockwork zone along the northeast strike direction, where kilometre-scale magnetic anomalies extend within O’Phlay
- Beneath the largest historical open pits in the northwest of Camp Prospect, where Unity’s sampling returned rock chip gold results up to 28.5 g/t and 21.1 g/t gold, with strong gold and arsenic-in-soil anomalism
- Small Creek Prospect, 1.8km south: beneath a historical underground mine and open pits, where Unity’s rock chip samples returned up to 37.1 g/t, 27.5 g/t, and 24.3 g/t gold, targeting both high-grade arsenopyrite-rich gold veins and surrounding stockwork mineralisation
The mineralised zone remains open to the northeast and at depth, and the magnetic anomalies associated with mineralisation extend for kilometres within the O’Phlay licence area. Unity holds an 85% interest in the O’Phlay licence, which is granted.
Unity Metals is an ASX-listed, SE Asia-focused gold and copper explorer with a portfolio of approximately 700km² across Cambodia and Thailand. O’Phlay sits 63km east-northeast of the Okvau Gold Mine.
Craig Mackay, Founder and Managing Director
“We will also shortly be planning to commence drilling other target areas at O’Phlay and our exploration opportunities are abundant. For example, we still haven’t tested beneath the largest historical open pit workings that lie within the project area, nor have we completed any drilling in the area of the historical high-grade gold underground workings. A number of our priority drill targets are associated with magnetic anomalies that extend for kilometres and have as yet seen little systematic exploration.”
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