Australian mineral explorer Taruga Minerals has kicked off its foray into Papua New Guinea with a bang, unveiling high-grade gold and copper results from surface sampling at a newly optioned project.
Encouraging Assays from Surface Sampling
The company has received independent laboratory results from rock chip samples collected in April at the Gwamogwamo prospect, part of the East Normanby gold project. The assays confirm the presence of significant mineralisation across a 1.5-kilometre trend marked by gossans and massive sulphides.
The standout results include a rock chip grading an impressive 12.4 grams per tonne (g/t) gold with 0.25% copper. Another grab sample returned a high 4.8% copper, while a third assayed 3.7 g/t gold. A further four samples delivered gold between 1.3 and 2 g/t, with one also containing 1.7% copper.
Historical Data Bolsters Project Credibility
The prospect's potential is further supported by compelling historical trenching data from Gwamogwamo. One costean returned a broad intercept of 155 metres at 0.6 g/t gold and 0.5% copper. Additional trench results included 40m at 2 g/t gold and 0.8% copper, and 68m at 1.4 g/t gold and 0.7% copper.
Limited historical drilling also provides shallow validation, with one hole intersecting 9m at 1.3% copper and 0.6 g/t gold from just 7m depth. Another hole hit 4m at 4.4 g/t gold from surface.
"These early rock chip results are a great start to our exploration campaign in PNG and the validation of historical work and grades at surface," said Taruga Minerals director David Chapman. "Gwamogwamo is one of our targeted drilling prospects for the 2026 exploration campaign."
Strategic Entry into Papua New Guinea
On 15 December 2025, Taruga announced it had secured a 12-month option to acquire 100% of two advanced projects in PNG: the East Normanby gold project and the Kol Mountain copper-gold project.
The East Normanby project covers 491 square kilometres across three licences on Normanby Island, encompassing a 40km-long epithermal gold district. The Kol Mountain project, spanning 123 square kilometres on New Britain Island, hosts a defined porphyry and skarn complex.
The company's immediate next steps involve validating historical data with modern GPS, reprocessing geophysics, and acquiring satellite imagery. A field program is planned for the first quarter of next year to expand geochemical datasets and define priority drill targets.
This move into Papua New Guinea adds a compelling high-grade gold-copper dimension to Taruga's portfolio, which already includes six projects across Western Australia and South Australia targeting gold, copper, base metals, and rare earths.
