Further high-grade silver could see Broken Hill Mines jump start Pinnacles operations

• Broken Hill drilling hits 1013g/t silver equivalent from just 39m at Junction area
• High-grade results support plans for open pit restart at Pinnacles Mine
• Phase 2 program of 25,000m drilling planned for Q1 2026 with resource update in H1

Special Report: Broken Hill Mines’ strategy to launch open pit operations at its Pinnacles Mine in the near-term has been boosted by further exceptional, near-surface silver intersections.

Extensional drilling in the Junction and Rope Shaft areas of the project in Far West NSW returned assays of up to 4.4m grading 1013g/t silver equivalent, including lead and zinc, from a down-hole depth of 39.1m.

Broken Hill Mines’ (ASX:BHM) drilling also continues to define broad, shallow gold and copper mineralisation overprinting the silver-lead-zinc system with results of up to 7.6m at 1.5g/t Au and 0.2% Cu from 62.4m.

The results provide further evidence that the Pinnacles Mine will be able to supply high-grade ore for processing at the company’s operating Rasp Mine processing plant in Broken Hill, about 15km away.

Phase 1 drilling at Pinnacles is nearing completion with about 65% of the holes being processed and pending assay release.

The company has also started drilling at the newly identified underground Perseverance target where historical drilling returned intersections up to 19.5m at 1026g/t AgEq from 192.5m.

Drill results

Assays from the first holes at the Junction area returned up to 1013g/t AgEq and 36.5% ZnEq.

These four holes are close to shallow old workings and extend downdip from the previously released high-grade results from drilling under the current mill.

Junction is interpreted as the down plunge extension of the same ore body, forming an anticlinal fold dipping to the south.

Previous small-scale mining in this area was via underground drives, however the shallow nature of portions of the mineralisation extent are being assessed for targeted high-grade open pit operations.

Over at Rope Shaft, drilling continues to return consistent high-grade mineralisation comprising shallow silver-lead zones underlain by a lower zinc-rich zone.

This is also overprinted by widespread gold and copper mineralisation.

BHM says the substantial widths of shallow gold and copper mineralisation with internal high-grade intervals is encouraging.

Rope Shaft drilling builds on historical results connecting south to the Fishers and Consols Target areas.

Additionally, the company has received the final assays from drilling at the Consols South target area.

This drilling intersected a combination of open mined voids and remnant mineralisation of the silver-lead rich zone and mineralisation in the upper and lower zinc zones.

A new assay of 3.5m grading 12.6% ZnEq from 150.1m confirms the broad zones of mineralisation containing high-grade internal intervals with the consistent gold near end of hole supporting the presence of a lower gold-copper zone.

Watch: BHM tops the war chest with more than $38M

Next steps

Further assays from drilling at Pinnacles will be released over the next three to four months.

BHM also plans to launch second phase drilling, which will total about 25,000m, in Q1 2026.

This will be the largest single drilling program ever undertaken at Pinnacles and is focused on delivering a significant uplift in overall resource size and grade.

An updated Pinnacles resource estimate is on target for delivery in H1 2026 to assist with near-term open pit mining decision and development options analysis.

This article was developed in collaboration with Broken Hill Mines, 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.