West Coast Silver Starts 4km Hunt for Elizabeth Hill Repeats With Half Funded by WA
Key Takeaways
- West Coast Silver has started an IP and CSAMT survey over about 4 km of the Munni Munni Fault Zone, targeting repeats of Elizabeth Hill, which historically produced 1.2 Moz of silver at 2,194 g/t.
- The WA Government is covering 50% of the program through $114,312 in co-funding, halving the company's cash outlay.
- The survey should take 4 weeks, with processing and modelling to follow and drill targets prioritised for H1 2027.
- Historic Elizabeth Hill South drilling includes 2 m at 1,550 g/t Ag from 108 m, but these are earlier results, not new confirmation.
- Geophysics only ranks targets, and the company cautions there is no certainty exploration will define additional Mineral Resources.
West Coast Silver starts geophysics survey across 4 km of the Munni Munni Fault Zone
West Coast Silver (ASX: WCE) has commenced an induced polarisation (IP) and CSAMT ground geophysics program at its Elizabeth Hill silver project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The survey is testing approximately 4 km of the Munni Munni Fault Zone (MMFZ).
The aim is to find potential repeats of the Elizabeth Hill silver system, which historically produced 1.2 Moz of silver at a head grade of 2,194 g/t Ag.
The Western Australian Government’s Co-Funded Geophysics Exploration Incentive Scheme is providing $114,312, covering 50% of the program cost. For investors, that means a systematic look along a structure next to a proven high-grade system, with half the bill met by the government.
Survey scope and sequence
Zonge Engineering & Research Organisation is running the survey under the supervision of Southern Geoscience Consultants. The planned sequence is:
- Surveying has started at the Elizabeth Hill South target area.
- The survey then moves south along the MMFZ between the Elizabeth Hill mine and the Munni Munni Complex.
- It then moves north of the mine, testing the MMFZ towards the Maitland Complex.
The survey is anticipated to take 4 weeks, followed by data processing and modelling for potential drill target generation. The IP and CSAMT techniques are being surveyed concurrently and, between them, provide the opportunity to test the MMFZ to greater depth than has previously been explored in the region.
Elizabeth Hill South historic hits
Historic drilling at Elizabeth Hill South returned intersections that the company says point to the potential of this underexplored area south of the mine.
| Hole | Interval | Grade | From depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMEHRC012 | 2 m | 1,550 g/t Ag | 108 m |
| Second hole (ID differs within the announcement) | 1 m | 250 g/t Ag | 118 m |
These are historic results, so they show where earlier drilling found silver rather than confirming anything new. The survey is designed to help work out where to look next.
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Why do IP and CSAMT matter for silver exploration?
Induced Polarisation (IP) is a ground survey method that detects contrasts in how rock holds an electrical charge, known as chargeability. Controlled-Source Audio-frequency Magneto-Tellurics (CSAMT) is a technique that images how strongly rock resists electrical current at depth.
Used together, they can help prioritise drill targets before money is spent on drilling. They do not guarantee that silver will be found.
The company points to an earlier test as its proof point. IP test survey lines over the Elizabeth Hill mine showed a chargeability response coincident with the mineral resource estimate (MRE) mineralised envelope, which the company says supports applying IP regionally to identify potential Elizabeth Hill-style targets for drill testing.
The announcement also notes that an apparent chargeability response on the western margin of the model corresponds to the location of a high-voltage electricity transmission line crossing the project area.
Management view and next steps toward H1 2027 drilling
The survey is designed to prioritise potential drill targets for follow-up in H1 2027, supporting the search for additional stand-alone Elizabeth Hill silver ‘pearls’ along the MMFZ. CEO Sergei Smolonogov framed the program this way:
Sergei Smolonogov, Chief Executive Officer
“…For the first time, we are systematically testing approximately 4 km of the Munni Munni Fault Zone for potential repeats of the high-grade Elizabeth Hill silver system…”
“…The objective is clear — to generate and prioritise compelling drill targets for follow-up in H1 2027 as we continue the search for additional Elizabeth Hill-style silver systems.”
Beyond the survey, West Coast Silver outlined these next steps for the project:
- Ongoing drilling to test extensions of the mineralised system, including depth extensions, and infill drilling within lower-confidence areas of the MRE
- Assessment of along-strike and near-mine extensions at the Maitland and Elizabeth Hill South prospects
- Detailed geological and structural assessment of 2025-2026 drilling data
- Mining and economic studies based on future updates to the MRE, where appropriate
The announcement also references the 22 April 2026 “Elizabeth Hill – 2.8Moz Silver Mineral Resource Estimate” announcement.
For readers wanting to see how the drilling side of the strategy fits together, our detailed coverage of the 1,800m diamond drilling program sets out the four workstreams, the planned MRE updates and the Q1 2027 Scoping Study timeline.
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Elizabeth Hill investment snapshot
The announcement sets out these key points on the project:
- 1.2 Moz of silver produced from just 16,830 t of ore at a head grade of 2,194 g/t (70.5 oz/t Ag)
- Mining operations ceased in 2000 as a result of low silver prices (approximately US$5/oz)
- Native silver was recovered via low-cost gravity separation techniques
- A single contiguous 180 km² land package
- A granted mining lease approximately 12 km from the Artemis Resources Radio Hill processing facility
The company cautions that there is no certainty that ongoing exploration will result in the definition of additional Mineral Resources. Exploration targets and potential extensions referred to in the announcement are conceptual in nature and require further exploration to establish their extent and economic significance.
Ready to Learn More About the Elizabeth Hill Silver Project?
West Coast Silver is now testing 4 km of the Munni Munni Fault Zone for potential repeats of a system that historically produced 1.2 Moz of silver at 2,194 g/t. With 50% of the survey cost met by the WA Government, drill targets are being prioritised for H1 2027.
Investors can explore the West Coast Silver company profile on Discovery Alert for further insight into the project, its exploration strategy and the latest company updates.