Astute Metals identifies four gold-silver targets in Nevada

• A data review has revealed four new drill targets at Needles project
• Company considers project similar to 16Moz Silicon-Merlin discovery
• Initial drilling planned for Q3 2025

Special Report: Astute Metals has identified four high-priority gold-silver targets at its Needles project in Nevada, USA, thanks to a data review.

The project has geological similarities to bulk-tonnage gold operations in Nevada such as the 20Moz+ Round Mountain mine and hosts numerous historical gold-silver workings from the early 1900s to 1920s.

Rising gold prices in recent months spurred a renewed assessment of Needles, which has previously returned rock chip results of up to 33g/t gold and 1115g/t silver.

A review of historical data and newly-acquired ASTER imagery has revealed the mineralisation at the project is underexplored, particularly since most previous drilling has been shallow.

Astute Metals (ASX:ASE) said this was particularly relevant when compared to the recent AngloGold Ashanti 16Moz+ Silicon-Merlin discovery, also in Nevada, which was discovered through exploration drilling beneath the alteration cap of an epithermal deposit.

This indicates there’s discovery potential in drilling the deeper parts of epithermal systems and a pathway to value creation.

The new targets include:

• Eastern Shaft prospect (rock-chip samples returned up to 33g/t gold and 622g/t silver);
• Historical Arrowhead Mine (with along-strike intersections including 3.42m at 2.92g/t gold and 905g/t silver);
• Tomahawk Mine (where assays returned up to 5.54g/t gold and 406g/t silver); and
• The Whopper Junior prospect (shows strong pathfinder anomalism above elevated IP chargeability).

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Revisiting Needles as gold prices soar

The company will now conduct systematic soil sampling and magnetic surveys, ahead of initial drilling planned for Q3 2025.

“This review of the Needles gold project has brought a fresh set of eyes to this under-explored project at a time of record gold prices and accelerating gold-silver exploration in Nevada as one of the premier jurisdictions for gold exploration and mining globally,” ASE chairman Tony Leibowitz said.

“The review indicates outstanding prospectivity for epithermal gold-silver mineralisation, with the recently acquired ASTER imagery indicating that historical drilling has never successfully tested the most prospective zones.

“We now plan to get boots on ground as soon as possible to undertake soil sampling and a magnetic survey, with the aim of commencing drilling at Needles during the September Quarter.”

The work at the Needles project will be conducted in tandem with the company’s drilling program at the nearby Red Mountain project, leveraging cost and management synergies.

“This is an exciting addition to Astute’s 2025 exploration campaign alongside our ongoing drilling at the Red Mountain lithium project, which is rapidly emerging as one of North America’s standout lithium clay deposits,” Leibowitz said.

This article was developed in collaboration with Astute Metals, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.