Latitude 66 Scoping Study Puts KSB Gold-Cobalt NPV at US$485M With 85% IRR
Latitude 66 Limited (ASX: LAT) has announced a significant step-change in the exploration potential of its Laverton Gold Project in Western Australia, with Phase 2 drilling at the Tin Dog Prospect confirming two entirely new mineralised lodes. The Latitude 66 Laverton Gold Project Tin Dog new gold lodes drill results represent more than just high-grade intersections — they demonstrate that previous explorers were testing the wrong structural orientations, leaving the primary mineralised trend largely unexplored.
The Don and Wilpro lodes each extend over 500 metres of strike length and both remain open along strike and at depth. Results from the first 20 holes of a 42-hole programme have also triggered a fundamental reinterpretation of the project's structural geology, materially expanding the prospective footprint and setting up a pipeline of untested targets across the broader tenement package.
"The identification of the mineralised structures materially expands the prospective footprint of the broader Laverton Gold Project, with multiple parallel NW–SE trends identified across the tenement package that remain largely untested."
— Grant Coyle, Managing Director, Latitude 66 Limited
The headline news from this announcement is not just the gold grades. It is the geological insight underpinning them. Phase 2 drilling has established that gold mineralisation at Tin Dog is primarily controlled by NW–SE trending shear zones associated with the regionally significant Hornet–Stewart shear system.
This represents a departure from the historical understanding of the project. Previous explorers focused their efforts on opposing NE–SW oriented structures, now reinterpreted as secondary cross-linking features between the main shear corridors. The implication is substantial — historical drilling largely missed the main mineralised trend.
The current programme has demonstrated that the primary structural corridor was underexplored by prior operators. Furthermore, multiple parallel NW–SE structures have been identified across the tenement package, all displaying consistent quartz veining and alteration signatures, yet largely untested by drilling.
The two newly defined lodes are:
Both lodes are readily identifiable in drilling through zones of shearing, strong alteration, and sulphide mineralisation, indicating strong geological and grade continuity throughout the system.
The Latitude 66 Laverton Gold Project Tin Dog new gold lodes drill results from the first 20 holes returned a mix of high-grade and broad bulk-tonnage intersections. Key intersections from the current Phase 2 batch include:
| Hole ID | From (m) | Width (m) | Grade (g/t Au) | Notable Subset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LVRC048 | 86 | 1 | 24.9 | High-grade bonanza |
| LVRC052 | 58 | 8 | 3.0 | Incl. 5m @ 4.5g/t from 61m |
| LVRC043 | 15 | 2 | 7.6 | Near-surface high-grade |
| LVRC043 | 0 | 8 | 1.3 | From surface, incl. 3m @ 2.8g/t |
| LVRC042 | 116 | 15 | 1.6 | Incl. 9m @ 2.3g/t from 116m |
| LVRC043 | 24 | 30 | 1.0 | Broad zone, incl. 12m @ 1.4g/t |
| LVRC042 | 83 | 21 | 0.7 | Incl. 3m @ 1.8g/t from 83m |
| LVRC054 | 79 | 5 | 1.8 | Incl. 2m @ 3.7g/t from 81m |
These results sit alongside strong intersections from the December 2025 programme, providing further context for the system's scale and continuity:
| Hole ID | From (m) | Width (m) | Grade (g/t Au) | Notable Subset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LVRC021 | 83 | 2 | 12.5 | High-grade |
| LVRC024 | 54 | 4 | 3.9 | Incl. 2m @ 7.5g/t |
| LVRC001 | 83 | 11 | 2.3 | Incl. 8m @ 3.0g/t |
| LVRC022 | 117 | 19 | 1.1 | Bulk tonnage width |
The combination of high-grade spikes and broad, lower-grade envelopes is a characteristic pattern seen in many structurally controlled gold systems. In addition, this pattern is supportive of both high-grade mining scenarios and bulk tonnage development options.
Orogenic gold mineralisation represents one of the most economically significant gold deposit types globally. The term refers to gold deposits formed during large-scale tectonic events where deep crustal fluids, enriched in gold, migrate upward along major fault systems and deposit gold where conditions are chemically or physically favourable.
At Tin Dog, the key geological concept is the structural control on gold distribution:
The structural reinterpretation means that previous explorers were drilling the wrong targets. The main mineralised trend is, by Latitude 66's account, relatively unexplored. Multiple parallel NW–SE structures have been mapped but not drilled, each representing a discrete target with the potential to host its own mineralised lode system comparable in scale to The Don and Wilpro.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| RC Drilling | Reverse Circulation drilling using a face-sampling hammer that returns rock chips to surface for sampling; cost-effective and widely used in early-stage gold exploration |
| Strike Length | The horizontal distance over which a mineralised structure has been confirmed; a key indicator of potential scale |
| g/t Au | Grams of gold per tonne of rock; the standard measure of gold grade |
| Shear Zone | A planar zone of rock deformation that can act as a conduit for mineralising fluids |
| Orogenic Gold | Gold formed in association with major tectonic (mountain-building) events; typically hosted in quartz veins within fault zones |
| JORC Code | Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves, the regulatory standard governing how results are disclosed to ASX investors |
| Mineral Resource | A JORC-classified estimate of the quantity and grade of mineralisation, providing a basis for project economics |
While Tin Dog is the focus of active discovery drilling, the adjacent Red Dog Prospect provides an existing JORC-compliant Mineral Resource that anchors the project's near-term development ambitions:
| Classification | Tonnes | Grade (g/t Au) | Contained Gold (oz) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indicated | 196,000 | 1.90 | 12,000 |
| Inferred | 35,000 | 1.38 | 1,500 |
| Total | 231,000 | 1.82 | 13,500 |
This existing resource at a 0.5g/t cut-off grade provides a baseline from which the company is aiming to grow through ongoing drilling. Permitting is, moreover, being progressed across both Red Dog and Tin Dog to enable near-term development options.
The Laverton Gold Project benefits from several important infrastructure and location advantages:
The current announcement covers results from only the first 20 of 42 holes drilled in Phase 2. Assays from the remaining 22 holes — which include results from the Red Dog Prospect — are pending and anticipated in the coming weeks. This represents a near-term, high-impact catalyst for investors.
The pending Latitude 66 Laverton Gold Project Tin Dog new gold lodes drill results from these remaining holes could further expand the geological model and potentially define additional mineralised positions. The forward work programme as outlined by the company includes:
The timeline of upcoming catalysts can be summarised as follows:
| Milestone | Expected Timing |
|---|---|
| Remaining 22 Phase 2 assay results (incl. Red Dog) | Coming weeks |
| Permitting advancement at Red Dog and Tin Dog | Ongoing |
| Further drilling on new NW–SE structural targets | To be announced |
| Mineral Resource definition drilling | Next phase |
Latitude 66 is not a single-asset story. The company operates across two Tier 1 jurisdictions. In Finland, the flagship Kuusamo Schist Belt (KSB) Project is an advanced gold-cobalt development carrying a Mineral Resource Estimate of 650,000 oz gold and 5,840 tonnes cobalt, backed by a completed Scoping Study. In Western Australia, the Laverton Gold Project is now rapidly evolving into a multi-lode discovery with genuine scale potential.
The breakthrough reinforces several pillars of the LAT investment case:
However, the most immediate focus remains the near-term newsflow. With 22 drill holes — including the Red Dog results — still to be reported, and permitting advancing toward near-term development, the coming weeks represent a significant window for investors tracking this emerging Western Australian gold story.
Key Takeaway: Latitude 66 has repositioned the Laverton Gold Project as a genuine multi-lode discovery story, with two newly confirmed 500m-plus lodes, a fundamentally revised geological model, and a pipeline of untested high-priority structural targets. With the remaining Phase 2 assays pending and permitting progressing, the Latitude 66 Laverton Gold Project Tin Dog new gold lodes drill results continue to build a compelling case for investors seeking exposure to a rapidly evolving gold discovery in one of Australia's most productive mining regions.
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