Novo Resources Accelerates Pilbara Exploration with Antimony Drill Campaign
Novo Resources is gearing up to launch a significant reverse-circulation drilling program this month at its Wyloo antimony project in Western Australia's Pilbara region. This initiative follows encouraging multi-element geochemistry results identified earlier in the year, paving the way for the company's maiden drilling effort in this untested area.
Funding and Drilling Details
The new drilling campaign is being launched shortly after a fresh $8.2 million placement, with $6.2 million from tranche one already secured. The remaining $2.0 million from tranche two is expected in May, pending shareholder approval. Drill sites have been prepared, and the 2500-meter reverse-circulation program is scheduled to commence in late April. This ground has remained completely untested until now, offering a promising opportunity for discovery.
Focus on Wyloo Antimony Project
The initial holes will target a polymetallic vein system and various mineralised structures. Novo will also closely monitor the potential for stratabound mineralisation, with plans to extend drilling under shallow cover if warranted. The Wyloo project is located within the Wyloo Dome area, approximately 40 kilometers southeast of Black Cat Syndicate's high-grade Paulsens gold deposit. Previous field campaigns have progressively refined the target, building anticipation for this drilling program.
Paulsens previously produced over 900,000 ounces of gold at an average grade of 7.3 grams per tonne between 2005 and 2017, before being placed on care and maintenance. Production resumed in late 2024, with the first gold pour occurring in December 2024. Previous work at Novo's Wyloo SE target outlined a coherent multi-element soil anomaly with peak values, including 57.2 parts per million silver, 142 ppm antimony, and 2180 ppm zinc. Access for drilling was enabled after a heritage survey was completed four weeks ago.
Additional Exploration Targets
Follow-up exploration at the Wyloo SW antimony stream anomaly defined a target area of 2.5 kilometers by 800 meters, with peak stream sediment results of 19.9 ppm antimony. Novo's executive co-chairman and acting CEO, Mike Spreadborough, highlighted that Wyloo, initially identified through regional helicopter-supported stream sediment sampling, continues to impress with each subsequent program, leading to this maiden drill effort.
The company plans sectional drilling at Wyloo SE to examine vertical metal zonation, grade, width, and potential plunge. Work will focus on the main east-northeast-trending vein array, the nearby Tasha Fault zone, and favourable west-northwest-trending stratigraphy, particularly around a mapped sulphide-bearing quartz-eye porphyry.
Expansion to Gold Prospects
Following the Wyloo program, Novo intends to move the rig to its Cronus gold prospect near Karratha. A maiden 2000-meter reverse-circulation drilling program is planned along five fences of holes across the Titan Shear to test several interpreted structural targets. This program follows encouraging gold assays from previous drilling by Artemis Resources at its Titan East prospect, where significant gold was reported in a major shear zone.
Once Cronus drilling is complete, Novo's focus will shift to an estimated 6000 meters of aircore infill drilling at its Balla Balla project. This aims to tighten anomalies along the regionally significant Scholl Shear at its Babbage and Ramquarry prospects. Looking further ahead, the company is also planning drilling for its Teichman project on the Tabba Tabba shear zone in the southern extremity of its Balla Balla tenements for Q3 2026, subject to approvals.
Future Prospects and Community Engagement
Teichman encloses multiple historic workings centred on two key mineralised shear zones within a 2.5-kilometer by 1.3-kilometer area. Previous exploration at Teichman, completed near the end of 2025, included mapping and surface sampling that defined multiple shear-hosted gold targets. This work followed discussions with the Mugarinya Community, which granted access to the Yandeyarra Reserve for low-impact exploration. Novo is planning heritage surveys to enable a reverse-circulation drilling program for Q3 2026.
With multiple projects underway in the Pilbara and the maiden Wyloo program set to deliver drilling samples soon, Novo has signalled a clear news flow for the near term. If any of the company's structural or polymetallic targets yield solid hits, this campaign could mark the beginning of a very interesting year for the Pilbara-focused explorer.
