Augustus Minerals Limited (ASX:AUG) Confirms North-West Dip at Clifton East and Moves Rig to High-Grade St Patrick's Well

Aditi Sarkar

11 November 2026 06:47 PM AEDT

Augustus Minerals Limited (ASX:AUG) Confirms North-West Dip at Clifton East and Moves Rig to High-Grade St Patrick's Well

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Highlights

A scissor hole at Clifton East (MWRC0025) confirmed the gold-bearing zones dip moderately to the north-west, with the hole remaining within the mineralised zone for 71 metres.
Best results from the scissor hole include 71 metres at 0.50 g/t gold from 15 metres, including 13 metres at 1.05 g/t gold from 22 metres.
The drill rig has moved to St Patrick's Well, where rock chip sampling has previously returned up to 30.4 g/t gold over 600 metres of strike on the same major shear zone.
Follow-up drilling at Clifton East will target extensions to two higher-grade gold shoots within a 540-metre by 240-metre area defined by existing drilling.

Augustus Minerals Limited (ASX:AUG) has provided an update on exploration activities at its Music Well Gold Project in Western Australia, located 35km north of Leonora in the Leonora-Laverton Greenstone Belt. The latest results come from the first five RC holes of the current drilling phase, designed to establish the structural orientation of gold mineralisation at the Clifton East prospect. The program has successfully confirmed that the gold-bearing zones dip moderately to the north-west, providing the geological framework needed for more targeted follow-up drilling.

Understanding the dip direction of mineralisation at Clifton East is considered a key step in improving drilling efficiency and targeting higher-grade intervals. Previous holes had been drilled in a south-easterly direction, potentially running parallel to the mineralised structures rather than intersecting them at a high angle. The current program was drilled in the opposite direction to test this interpretation.

Clifton East Scissor Hole Results and Geological Interpretation

The key result from the current program is MWRC0025, a scissor hole drilled in the opposite direction to an earlier hole that had returned a notable composite intersection. MWRC0025 tracked within the mineralised zone for 71 metres of its length, returning a composite result of 71 metres at 0.50 g/t gold from 15 metres, including a higher-grade sub-interval of 13 metres at 1.05 g/t gold. The hole also returned a secondary mineralised zone of 19 metres at 0.25 g/t gold at greater depth.

Two adjacent holes drilled 80 metres to the north-east of MWRC0025 intersected only lower-grade mineralisation and are interpreted to have been drilled down-dip between the mineralised lodes rather than across them. This interpretation refines the structural model and informs how subsequent holes should be positioned to maximise intersection angles. One additional hole has been drilled at Clifton East with results still pending.

St Patrick's Well: A New High-Priority Target

Following the Clifton East program, the drill rig has mobilised to the St Patrick's Well prospect, located on the same major shear zone that hosts Clifton East mineralisation as well as the nearby Celtic gold mine. Historical rock chip sampling at St Patrick's Well has returned multiple high-grade gold results over approximately 600 metres of strike, including several chips above 20 g/t gold. Five RC holes are planned to test the mineralised system beneath these surface expressions.

The geological association of St Patrick's Well with the same structural corridor as Clifton East and the Celtic mine suggests that the broader shear zone may be a significant gold-hosting feature across multiple prospects within the Music Well tenement package. Results from the St Patrick's Well program are expected in the early to mid-December timeframe.

Project Scale and Surrounding Gold District

The Music Well Gold Project covers approximately 1,242 square kilometres of tenements in a region with an outstanding gold endowment exceeding 28 million ounces. The project is surrounded by operating gold mines including the Darlot Gold Mine to the north, the King of the Hills Mine to the west, the Leonora Gold Camp to the south-west and the Thunderbox Gold Mine. This context of proven neighbouring mines within trucking distance supports the strategic case for establishing a production centre at Music Well if sufficient resource inventory is defined.

Augustus Minerals also holds the Ti-Tree project in the Gascoyne Region, prospective for copper, gold, lithium and rare earths, as well as licence applications in Papua New Guinea at the Mt Kare and Vanapa River areas. The company's near-term focus, however, remains firmly on advancing the Music Well program through Clifton East, St Patrick's Well, and additional prospects including Black Cat East and Teutonic East.

Key Insights

The confirmation of a north-westerly dip at Clifton East through the scissor hole program is a valuable geological insight that enables more precisely oriented follow-up drilling. The 71-metre mineralised intersection in MWRC0025, while at a modest average grade, demonstrates the continuity of the system along dip. The move to St Patrick's Well adds exploration momentum, with the high-grade rock chip endowment over 600 metres of strike making it a priority drill target. The Music Well Project's location within one of Australia's most prolific gold districts provides well-established geological context for continued exploration. Near-term milestones include the final Clifton East assay, St Patrick's Well results in December, and planning for extensions to the two higher-grade shoots within the defined drill corridor.

FAQs

Q: What is a scissor hole in drilling?

A: A scissor hole is a drill hole planned in the opposite direction (or at a significantly different orientation) to a previous hole on the same drill line. It is used to test the dip of mineralisation, intersect structures from a different angle, and determine whether earlier results were drilling along the mineralised zone rather than across it.

Q: Where is the Music Well Gold Project located?

A: The Music Well Gold Project is located approximately 35km north of Leonora in the Leonora-Laverton Greenstone Belt of Western Australia. It covers more than 1,242 square kilometres and is surrounded by several operating gold mines within the same gold-rich district.

Q: What is the significance of the St Patrick's Well prospect?

A: St Patrick's Well lies on the same major shear zone as Clifton East and the nearby Celtic gold mine, suggesting structural continuity of a potentially significant gold-hosting corridor. Surface rock chip results of up to 30.4 g/t gold over 600 metres of strike provide compelling evidence of mineralisation at surface that warrants drill testing at depth.

Q: What is the size and character of the mineralised system at Clifton East?

A: Current drilling has defined a 540-metre by 240-metre area of gold mineralisation at Clifton East, within which two higher-grade shoots have been identified. The system appears to be hosted within granite and related rocks along a structural corridor, with gold associated with quartz veining and pervasive alteration.

Q: What other prospects are being pursued within the Music Well Project?

A: Beyond Clifton East and St Patrick's Well, Augustus Minerals is planning initial drill testing of Black Cat East and Teutonic East in the first or second quarter of 2027. The company is also reviewing near-mine and regional gold targets across the broader 1,242 square kilometre tenement package.

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