Soil geochemistry can reveal gold trends that drilling has not yet tested. Hawthorn Resources Limited (ASX:HAW) announced on 27 August 2026 that aircore drilling has started at Pinjin East, part of its Anglo Saxon gold joint venture in Western Australia.

Company overview

Hawthorn Resources Limited (ASX:HAW) is a Melbourne-based explorer with the Anglo Saxon gold joint venture, which includes a high-grade deposit with a January 2026 resource update. Pinjin East is on tenement E31/1050, immediately east of Anglo Saxon.

The aircore program

A 25-hole aircore program of up to 2,000 metres will test a historical gold-in-soil anomaly extending more than 800 metres at over 50 ppb gold, with five soil results above 500 ppb and a peak of 10,900 ppb (10.9 g/t). Holes of up to 100 metres depth or refusal test the regolith and underlying bedrock across the principal geochemical trends.

Supporting historical drilling

Nearby historical RC results include 8 metres at 0.96 g/t gold from 96 metres (including 2 metres at 2.27 g/t), 1 metre at 1.19 g/t gold and 4 metres at 0.31 g/t gold from surface, previously reported in 2022. The company says this is the first systematic drilling across most of the soil anomaly, and aims to identify shallow satellite deposits that could support redevelopment of the Anglo Saxon open pit.

Competent person and reporting basis

The announcement notes that the information relating to exploration results is based on work compiled by a consultant with BM Geological Services who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Historical drilling results were previously reported by Hawthorn in 2022, and the release includes forward-looking statements about program timing and outcomes.

The geochemical target in detail

The anomaly contains five soil results exceeding 500 ppb gold, with a peak of 10,900 ppb, and multiple high-tenor gold-in-soil anomalies occur along interpreted ultramafic contacts within a mafic-metasedimentary-ultramafic greenstone sequence. The most pronounced anomalism forms a coherent NNW trend extending more than 800 metres and is spatially associated with interpreted lithological contacts.

Historical drilling on the margins of the target has returned anomalous to economic-grade intersections, which Hawthorn says supports drill testing of the intervening geochemical target. Previous results were reported in its 2022 quarterly activities reports.

Program design and rationale

Aircore holes of up to 100 metres depth or refusal have been positioned across the principal geochemical trends to test the regolith profile and underlying bedrock for primary gold mineralisation. The program is described as the first systematic drill testing across most of the surface anomaly. The company said the program aims to define geological controls on mineralisation and identify shallow high-grade satellite deposits that could support redevelopment of the nearby Anglo Saxon open pit.

Positive results would provide targets for follow-up RC drilling.

Sector backdrop

Gold exploration in greenstone belts often starts with soil sampling, then aircore drilling to test bedrock, with RC drilling to follow where results justify.

Aircore drilling is a cost-effective first pass in regolith-covered terrain, giving geological and geochemical data to guide RC drilling. Greenstone belts with ultramafic contacts are a common host for gold in the Yilgarn.

The company noted that the program comes at a time of firm gold prices, though price levels do not affect whether a target contains mineralisation.

Risks shareholders should weigh

Soil anomalies do not always reflect bedrock mineralisation, and historical results around the margins were modest.

Aircore drilling is a first-pass test, and follow-up requires RC drilling and funding.

Redevelopment of Anglo Saxon is described as impending but is outside this announcement.

Historical drilling includes sub-economic intercepts such as 4 metres at 0.31 g/t gold, and results across the target may be mixed.

No resource exists at Pinjin East.

What’s next

Hawthorn will use aircore results to select RC targets. Shareholders may wish to watch for assays.

Hawthorn expects to report assays and use them to select RC targets.