West Coast Silver Hits 64,745g/t Peak in Drilling Feeding Q4 Resource Update
Key Takeaways
- Hole 26WCDD037 returned 38.3m @ 878 g/t Ag from just 3.7m downhole, including a peak interval of 0.5m @ 64,745 g/t Ag — visible native silver was observed in the core, physically confirming bonanza-grade character.
- A new west-to-east drilling orientation intersected mineralisation outside the current MRE boundary, opening a near-surface zone extending westward into granite that previous drilling had not tested.
- 86% of the current 2.8Moz resource at 617 g/t Ag is classified as Inferred — the infill drilling program is specifically designed to convert that to Indicated at sub-7.5m spacing, directly de-risking the resource ahead of development studies.
- An updated JORC 2012 MRE is planned for Q4 2026, with economic studies and a development options assessment targeted for early 2027.
- Elizabeth Hill sits 12km from the Radio Hill processing facility with an MOU in place, and the project's historical production of 1.2Moz at 2,194 g/t Ag was halted in 2000 on silver price — not geology.
Bonanza-grade silver confirmed as West Coast Silver extends Elizabeth Hill mineralisation westward
West Coast Silver has confirmed bonanza-grade silver at the Elizabeth Hill Project, with drilling returning 38.3m @ 878 g/t Ag from just 3.7m downhole, including 22.3m @ 1,495 g/t Ag and a peak of 0.5m @ 64,745 g/t Ag from 29.0m. The results, released 27 August 2026 from drilling completed in July 2026, deliver two strategic wins — high grades confirmed within and below the current MRE, and mineralisation intersected outside the current MRE, extending the system near-surface and westward into granite.
These results feed directly into an updated JORC 2012 MRE planned for Q4 2026, a near-term catalyst for the company. The drilling confirms the extraordinary high-grade character of the Elizabeth Hill system and materially improves the geological understanding of mineralisation controls at the project.
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Standout drill results from holes 26WCDD037–039
The three holes delivered headline intercepts that exceeded expectations. Visible native silver observed in 26WCDD037 (Figures 2–4 in the source announcement) provides physical confirmation of the bonanza-grade character of the system.
| Hole | Intercept | Grade | Highlight sub-interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26WCDD037 | 38.3m from 3.7m | 878 g/t Ag | 22.3m @ 1,495 g/t Ag; 0.5m @ 64,745 g/t Ag |
| 26WCDD037 | 13.5m from 45.0m | 2,253 g/t Ag | 9.15m @ 3,318 g/t Ag from 47.85m |
| 26WCDD038 | 63.0m from 2.0m | 53 g/t Ag | 31.3m @ 92 g/t Ag; 1.0m @ 1,060 g/t Ag |
| 26WCDD039 | 20.15m from 15.0m | 53 g/t Ag | 14.8m @ 61 g/t Ag; 1.15m @ 116 g/t Ag |
All intervals are downhole lengths, not true widths.
The exceptional 8.8m @ 3,449 g/t Ag from 48.2m interval in 26WCDD037, together with visible native silver, reinforces the extraordinary high-grade character of the Elizabeth Hill system. The broad 63m @ 53 g/t Ag intersection from just 2m downhole in 26WCDD038 demonstrates a substantial near-surface mineralised halo surrounding the higher-grade zones.
Why the new drilling orientation matters
The strategic change in drilling orientation opened up a new near-surface area extending westward into granite that previous drilling had not extensively tested. Holes were drilled west-to-east (versus historic east-to-west) and collared west of the historic underground workings.
This new drilling approach achieved three things:
- Extended mineralisation to surface west of the MRE
- Provided additional assays within the MRE for future resource estimation
- Supported extension of higher-grade mineralisation within areas drilled
These holes were infill drilling designed to tighten the <7.5m spacing needed to convert Inferred to Indicated resources, de-risking the resource. Mineralisation was intersected outside the current MRE, extending the system to near-surface and westward into granite. High grades were confirmed within and below the current MRE.
CEO Sergei Smolonogov
“Final diamond drilling results from the H1 2026 program have exceeded expectations, extending mineralisation beyond the current MRE and identifying exceptional high grades both within and outside the existing resource envelope. Importantly, changing the drilling orientation from west-to-east and collaring holes west of the historic Elizabeth Hill underground workings has highlighted mineralisation that had not been extensively tested by previous drilling. This opens a new near-surface area of mineralisation extending westward into the granite and will be assessed for its contribution to the planned Mineral Resource update. The exceptional high-grade interval of 8.8m @ 3,449g/t Ag from 48.2m in 26WCDD037, together with visible native silver, reinforces the extraordinary high-grade character of the Elizabeth Hill system. At the same time, the broad 63m @ 53g/t Ag intersection from just 2m downhole in 26WCDD038 demonstrates a substantial near-surface mineralised halo surrounding the higher-grade zones. The program has achieved its key objectives by demonstrating clear potential for resource growth, identifying bonanza-grade, high-grade and broader lower-grade silver mineralisation, and materially improving our understanding of the distribution and controls on silver mineralisation at Elizabeth Hill. These results provide a strong technical foundation for further drilling and the planned Q4 2026 Mineral Resource update.”
Understanding bonanza-grade silver and the JORC resource pathway
Bonanza-grade silver refers to grades in the thousands of grams per tonne — 64,745 g/t Ag is exceptional. To contextualise, the Elizabeth Hill deposit’s current MRE average grade is 617 g/t Ag. Native silver is visible metal that has historically been recovered via low-cost gravity separation.
JORC Inferred resources indicate a lower level of geological confidence compared to Indicated resources. Converting Inferred to Indicated requires closer drill spacing and additional assays, which increases confidence and supports development studies. Approximately 86% of the current 2.8Moz resource is Inferred. Infill drilling like this is the pathway to a more bankable resource.
The Elizabeth Hill silver story
Elizabeth Hill stands out as one of Australia’s highest-grade silver projects based on historical production grades and the April 2026 MRE. Key points include:
- Current MRE: 141,000t at 617 g/t Ag for 2.8Moz contained silver (April 2026)
- Historical production: 1.2 Moz silver from just 16,830t of ore at 2,194 g/t head grade
- One of Australia’s highest-grade silver projects (per historical production grades and April 2026 MRE)
- Mining ceased in 2000 on price (US$5/oz), not geology — silver referenced at ~US$64/oz in August 2026 (historical context only; not a forecast and not an indication of project economics)
- Located on a granted Mining Lease, ~12km from the Radio Hill processing facility with an MOU in place to evaluate processing options
- Consolidated 180km² contiguous land package over the Munni Munni Fault system
High grades enabled low processing tonnes historically. Native silver was recovered via low-cost gravity separation techniques. The deposit remains open at depth and along strike. Recent consolidation of the tenement holding offers potential to discover more Elizabeth Hill-style deposits near mine and regionally.
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What comes next
The roadmap centres on near-term catalysts and planned work programmes:
- Updated JORC 2012 MRE planned for Q4 2026
- Further west-to-east diamond drilling in H2 2026 — targeting Inferred-to-Indicated conversion, testing near-surface granite-hosted mineralisation, and assessing higher-grade continuity
- Depth and along-strike extensions, including Maitland and Elizabeth Hill South prospects
- Geophysical surveys (IP, CSAMT, EM, downhole EM) for new target generation along the MMFZ
- Economic studies following the MRE update; objective of assessing development options by early 2027
The mineralised system remains open in all directions. References to resource growth in the announcement are conceptual in nature — there has been insufficient exploration in these areas to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain whether further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource. Further work is required to assess the extent and continuity of mineralisation identified beyond the current MRE limits.
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