
September 25, 2024
Piche Resources Limited (ASX: PR2) (“Piche” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce the first outstanding intersections received from its reverse circulation drilling programme on its Ashburton project in Western Australia. The results confirm the mineralisation and its downdip continuation at the Angelo A prospect.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Assay results from the first six reverse circulation (RC) drill holes completed at the Angelo A prospect within Piche’s Ashburton project have all returned significant high grade uranium mineralisation.
- Equivalent U3O8 concentrations have been calculated from downhole gamma surveys and results include:
- ARC001 6.98m @ 1,617 ppm eU3O8 from 101.84 metres
- ARC002 4.36m @ 2,205 ppm eU3O8 from 109.89 metres
- ARC003 3.96m @ 1,516 ppm eU3O8 from 86.89 metres
- ARC004 6.02m @ 801 ppm eU3O8 from 83.55 metres
- ARC006 3.45m @ 5,129 ppm eU3O8 from 137.62 metres incl 0.34m @ 16,050 ppm eU3O8 from 139.11 metres
- ARC007 1.30m @ 503ppm eU3O8 from 123.37 metres.
- The ongoing drilling programme is designed to confirm previous high grade uranium results at the Angelo A & B prospects, test a revised model for the controls on mineralisation and identify extensions to the existing mineralisation.
- The drilling is targeting Proterozoic unconformity style uranium mineralisation, like the Pine Creek Geosyncline in Australia and the Athabasca Basin in Canada.
- Further RC results will be released as the drilling programme continues and a diamond drill rig will be mobilised to site in the coming week.
The continuing drilling programme is being undertaken at, and along strike of, the Angelo A prospect. No exploration activities have been carried out at Angelo A over the last 40 years.
Table 1: Angelo A Reverse Circulation drill hole intersections (cut-off grade of 250ppm eU3O8)(All thicknesses are downhole thicknesses as there is currently insufficient information to accurately calculated true widths)
Table 2: Drill hole details of holes referenced above(Table 2 documents the drill hole location details. Coordinates are reported in GDA94)
*ARCD005 is a pre-collar to a planned diamond drillhole which will be completed on arrival of the diamond drill rig
The drill rig will move to Angelo B prospect, approximately 1.3km to the northeast, following the completion of the Angelo A drilling.
This programme will be followed by a diamond drilling programme scheduled for later this month. These drilling programmes are planned to confirm the results from previous exploration by drilling several twin holes, to test a revised model for the control of the uranium mineralisation and explore for extensions to the mineralisation identified between 1973 and 1984.
The project area is located approximately 140km to the west-southwest of Newman in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (Figure 1). Piche holds three tenements totalling about 122km2 in its Ashburton Project (Figure 2).
Piche’s Managing Director, Stephen Mann, commented:
“The Company is very excited following the receipt of results from the first six holes of Piche’s initial drilling programme on its Ashburton Project. Not only have we confirmed the historical results with several twin holes, but we have shown that the mineralization continues downdip. Drilling to date has confirmed that mineralisation occurs within the typical unconformity model, with highly altered uranium rich sandstones at the unconformity, and the potential of mineralized “feeder” zones extending steeply below that unconformity zone. It is expected that further drilling in this campaign should result in more clarity of the distribution and controls of mineralization”.
Previous explorers at the Ashburton Project area focused their efforts on the unconformity between the mid Proterozoic sandstones and the early Proterozoic basement complexes.
The Ashburton Project area hosts unconformity-related uranium mineralisation. Unconformity uranium style deposits constitute approximately 20% of Australia’s total uranium resources and about one-third of the western world’s uranium resources and include some of the largest and richest uranium deposits2. Minerals are uraninite and pitchblende. The main deposits occur in Canada (the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan and Thelon Basin, Northwest Territories); and Australia (the Alligator Rivers region in the Pine Creek Geosyncline, NT and Rudall Rivers area, WA1). In both Canada and Australia mineralisation is often found at the unconformity and in the basement complex well below the unconformity.
Uranium mineralisation at the Ashburton Project area occurs along the Lower Proterozoic Wyloo Group/Mid Proterozoic Bresnahan Group contact. Uranium mineralisation has previously been identified from broad spaced drilling at Angelo A and B prospects (Figure 3). Mineralisation intersected in this first phase of drilling by Piche has identified significant uranium at, or near the unconformity, but also in units immediately above the unconformity and well into the underlying basement units. Mineralisation is commonly associated with hematitic alteration of felspathic medium to coarse grained sandstones and is spatially associated with carbonaceous and graphitic shales. Visible uraninite has been recognised in several intersections.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Piche Resources, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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05 March
Piche Resources
Investor Insight
With high-quality, drill-ready assets, with world-class discovery potential, Piche Resources is a compelling business case for investors looking to leverage a bull market for uranium and gold.
Overview
Piche Resources (ASX:PR2) is focused on discovering significant uranium and gold deposits in Australia and Argentina. The company boasts a portfolio of high-quality, drill-ready assets with world-class discovery potential, presenting a compelling opportunity for investors aiming to capitalize on the bullish markets for uranium and gold.
Piche Resources’ portfolio includes the Ashburton uranium project in Western Australia’s prolific Pilbara region; the Sierra Cuadrada uranium project in the San Jorge Basin in Argentina; and the Cerro Chacon gold project which shares geological similarities with the Cerro Negro mine in Argentina. Exploration work at these assets indicate their potential to become world-class projects.
Piche has an internationally recognized board focused on creating long-term shareholder value, and an in-country technical team in Argentina with a proven track record of taking projects from discovery through to development.
Company Highlights
- The company’s Australian asset is the Ashburton uranium project, which has been drilled previously and recorded high-grade uranium intersections over significant widths.
- In Argentina, the company’s Sierra Cuadrada uranium project in the San Jorge Basin has a significant history of high-grade, near-surface uranium mining operations.
- Drilling at one of the prospects at Sierra Cuadrada has shown visible uranium in numerous holes. Multiple other prospects are drill-ready and have the potential to host tier 1 uranium deposits.
- Exposure to gold with high-quality precious metal projects in Argentina that boast surface outcrop samples with gold grade up to 13 g/t gold.
- Internationally renowned board and management team with extensive uranium and gold exploration and development experience.
Key Projects
Uranium: Ashburton Project, Australia
Project Highlights
- Location: Pilbara region, Western Australia, approximately 1,150 km north of Perth.
- Project Area: Comprises three exploration licenses covering a 122 sq km land package.
- Historical Exploration: Previous drilling by Pancontinental (62 holes) identified 71 intercepts with grades exceeding 500 ppm U₃O₈, averaging approximately 1.1 lbs of U₃O₈ per tonne. Notable high-grade drilling results include:
- 10.5 m at 4,380 ppm U₃O₈ (Hole AR1004)
- 9 m at 3,490 ppm U₃O₈ (Hole AR1009)
- Recent Development: In 2024, Piche completed a combined reverse circulation and diamond drilling program totaling 3,082.8 meters. The results exceeded expectations, validating previous findings. A follow-up drilling program is planned for mid-2025, targeting both Angelo A & B prospects and other areas within the tenement portfolio.
Uranium: Sierra Cuadrada, Argentina
The Sierra Cuadrada project is located in the San Jorge Basin and spans 1,300 sq km, 200 km north of Comodoro Rivadavia. The project is flat-lying, with visible uranium assays of >3,000 U3O8 or 6.6 lbs per tonne. The mineralization occurs at varying stratigraphic layers and remains open at depth. There is potential for numerous continuous zones up to 30 km wide and 40 km long. Mineralization is open along strike NW and SW and downdip. Further work will include delineating the deposit with shallow drilling and trenching that Pinche boasts can be done at very low cost.
Project Highlights:
- Location: San Jorge Basin, approximately 200 km north of Comodoro Rivadavia.
- Project Area: Spans 1,300 sq km of flat-lying terrain.
- Mineralization: Visible uranium assays exceeding 3,000 ppm U₃O₈ (6.6 lbs per tonne) have been observed. Mineralization occurs at various stratigraphic layers and remains open at depth, with potential for continuous zones up to 30 km wide and 40 km long.
- Historical Context: The Argentine National Atomic Energy Commission conducted extensive uranium exploration from the mid-1950s, identifying thousands of anomalies and developing eight mining operations. In the Chubut province, radiometric and EM surveys have highlighted two large Cretaceous paleochannels in the San Jorge Basin, extending over 200 km N-S and 30 to 60 km E-W. Notable high-grade deposits in the area include Cerro Condor and Los Adobes, both past-producing operations with grades of 6,000 ppm U₃O₈ and 1,400 ppm U₃O₈ found in outcrop, respectively.
- Recent Developments: Auger drilling in 2024 conducted at Sierra Cuadrada highlights extensive areas of near surface uranium mineralization. Assay results have been received for the shallow reconnaissance holes including 6 samples >1000ppm U₃O₈ (to maximum 2,650 ppm U₃O₈) and 2 samples >500ppm U₃O₈ (to maximum 900 ppm U₃O₈)
Gold: Cerro Chacon, Argentina
The Cerro Chacon gold project is located 10 km south of Paso de Indios, in the Chubut Province of Argentina. The land tenement spans 365 sq km of prospective precious metals occurrences. Structural mapping and geochemical sampling at the Chacon Grid identified mineralized systems consistent with surface signatures at the Cerro Negro Mine that boasts a contained metal inventory of 5.8 Moz of gold and 50 Moz of silver.
Project Highlights
- Location: Approximately 10 km south of Paso de Indios, Chubut Province.
- Project Area: Encompasses 365 sq km of prospective precious metals occurrences.
- Geological Potential: Structural mapping and geochemical sampling have identified mineralized systems consistent with surface signatures at the Cerro Negro Mine, which has a contained metal inventory of 5.8 Moz of gold and 50 Moz of silver.
- Recent Developments: Exploration activities at the Cerro Chacon gold project have delineated a substantial mineralized corridor extending over 10 kilometers. Surface sampling and geological mapping have identified multiple high-grade gold occurrences, with assays returning values up to 13 g/t gold. These findings underscore the project’s potential to host significant gold resources. Piche Resources is preparing for a comprehensive drilling program to further evaluate these targets and define the extent of the mineralization.
Management Team
John (Gus) Simpson – Executive Chairman
John Simpson has over 37 years of experience in mineral exploration, development, and mining. Previously the executive chairman and founder of Peninsula Energy Limited (ASX:PEN), a USA uranium producer.
Stephen Mann – Managing Director
Stephen Mann is a geologist with over 40 years of experience in exploration, discovery, and development of mining projects, including 20 years in the uranium sector. Formerly the Australian managing director of Orano, the world’s third-largest uranium producer.
Pablo Marcet –Executive Director
Pablo Marcet is a senior geoscientist with 38 years of experience in exploration, discovery, and development of mineral deposits. Currently an independent director of lithium producer Arcadium Lithium (NYSE:ALTM) and previously a director of Barrick Gold (NYSE:GOLD) and U3O8 (TSX:UWE).
Clark Beyer – Non-executive Director
Clark Beyer is an internationally recognized nuclear industry executive with over 35 years of experience. Formerly the managing director of Rio Tinto Uranium Limited and currently principal of Global Fuel Solutions LLC, providing strategic consulting to the international uranium and nuclear fuels market.
Stanley Macdonald – Non-executive Director
Stanley Macdonald is a nationally recognized mining entrepreneur, founding director, and instrumental in the success of numerous ASX-listed companies, such as Giralia Resources, Northern Star, and Redhill Iron. Currently a director of Zenith Minerals.
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Targeting globally significant uranium and gold discoveries in Australia and Argentina
18 June
New tenement application secured at Ashburton project
26 May
Drilling Approval for Cerro Chacon Project Confirmed
12h
High-Grade Gold Discovery in First 8 Mile Drill Hole
Miramar Resources Limited (ASX:M2R, “Miramar” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce that the first RC drill hole at the 8 Mile target has intersected high-grade gold and ended in mineralisation.
- First RC hole at 8 Mile discovers high-grade gold and ends in mineralisation
- 8 Mile gold mineralisation extends 75m north of tenement boundary
The 8 Mile target is located within the Gidji JV Project (“Gidji” or “the Project”), approximately 15 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie and surrounded by multiple gold mining and processing operations, including Northern Star Resources Limited’s (“NST”) Kalgoorlie gold operations (Figure 1).
The 8 Mile Target is located immediately adjacent to NST’s “8-Mile Dam” gold deposit which, according to the most recent publicly available data, contains an estimated 7Mt @ 1.4g/t Au for 313,977 ounces1.
A limited number of fast-tracked results from the first RC hole, GJRC029, show a wide zone of gold mineralisation with a similar tenor to 8 Mile Dam (18m @ 0.94g/t Au from 480m including 1m @ 6.04g/t Au), approximately 75m north of the tenement boundary, and ended in mineralisation (3m @ 0.52g/t Au).
The Company is awaiting assay results from the remainder of the hole which are expected in 2-3 weeks.
Miramar’s Executive Chairman, Mr Allan Kelly, said the Company was excited to see gold mineralisation continuing onto Miramar’s ground for a significant distance.
“This is the first time we have discovered significant gold mineralisation on our side of the fence, even though the drill hole didn’t end up exactly where we planned it to. The flip side of this is that we have extended the strike of gold mineralisation for over 100m on to our tenements,” he said.
“We’ve also demonstrated a relationship between the IP anomalism and gold mineralisation, which makes the other IP anomalies we have outlined at Gidji even more prospective,” he said.
Figure 1. The Gidji JV Project and 8-Mile Dam in relation to Kalgoorlie and surrounding deposits.
GJRC029 aimed to test an Induced Polarisation (IP) anomaly on the tenement boundary interpreted to represent the sulphide-rich gold mineralisation seen at the neighbouring 8 Mile Dam Deposit.
GJRC029 was collared approximately 10m north of the tenement boundary and mirrored MPGD008, a diamond hole drilled down-dip approximately 40m south of the tenement boundary by KCGM in 2013 and which intersected significant gold mineralisation related to the 8 Mile mafic unit.
Unfortunately, GJRC029 deviated significantly from the planned azimuth and, as a result, by the time the hole was terminated at the target depth of 504m, the drill trace ended up approximately 75m north of the tenement boundary (Figure 2). Despite this, the hole intersected a thick section of the steep westerly- dipping and highly altered 8 Mile mafic unit with widespread sulphide mineralisation, including disseminated magnetite and coarse-grained arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite, similar to the 8 Mile Dam Deposit (Figure 3).
Based on visual logging of RC drill chips, handheld portable XRF results and magnetic susceptibility measurements, samples from the bottom 56m of the hole were sent for priority analysis by fire assay at Bureau Veritas in Kalgoorlie.
The results from these initial samples confirm the relationship between the gold mineralisation and sulphides, and a relationship between the best gold mineralisation and coincident magnetic anomalism and elevated Arsenic as measured by handheld portable XRF. The first results also confirm that the IP anomaly is associated with potentially significant gold mineralisation, whilst the significant deviation of GJRC029 away from the planned target increases the potential strike length of gold mineralisation on Miramar’s ground.
Significant results are listed in Table 1, with assay results from the remainder of the hole expected in coming weeks.
The initial RC drilling programme, which also tested two other IP targets, is nearing completion and results will be reported once received and compiled.
Once all assays are received, the Company will plan further RC and/or diamond drill holes including to test the dip and strike extent of the mineralisation intersected in GJRC029.
The Company advises that the WA Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE) has extended the main Gidji JV tenement, E26/214, for a further five years, and will now expire in March 2030.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Miramar Resources Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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19h
Pacgold
Investor Insight
Pacgold is one of Australia’s most compelling gold exploration opportunities, backed by a strong technical team, offering investors exposure to a large-scale, underexplored gold system with significant resource growth potential.
Overview
Pacgold (ASX:PGO) is an Australian gold exploration company focused on the systematic advancement of the Alice River gold project in Northern Queensland. The company is led by a technically driven and highly experienced team of geologists and mining professionals, with demonstrated success in exploration, resource development and capital markets.
Pacgold team on site at Alice River gold project
With a dominant land position in the region, Pacgold holds 377 sq km of exploration permits and eight mining leases across the prospective Alice River Fault Zone (ARFZ). This structure is interpreted as part of a large-scale intrusion-related gold system, with characteristics analogous to major global deposits such as Fort Knox (USA) and Hemi (Western Australia).
The company has validated its model through drilling success at the Central Zone, culminating in a maiden mineral resource of 474,000 oz of gold. This comprises both open pit and underground components, with resource grades averaging 1.2 grams per ton (g/t) gold, and zones open in all directions. Less than five percent of the strike length has been tested, and much of the prospective corridor is obscured by thin sand cover, highlighting strong potential for blind discoveries.
With extensive infrastructure already in place, including an airstrip, accommodation camp and road access within 100 km, Pacgold is positioned to rapidly scale exploration and accelerate resource growth. The 2025 campaign, which includes more than 10,000 metres of RC drilling and new IP surveys, aims to unlock the full regional potential of the ARFZ.
Company Highlights
- District-scale Discovery Potential: Pacgold controls more than 377 sq km of tenure and more than 30 km of strike length across the Alice River Fault Zone (ARFZ), a fertile, underexplored structural corridor in Northern Queensland.
- Maiden Resource: In May 2025, the company published a 474,000 oz gold mineral resource estimate (MRE), covering just five percent of the total strike, confirming high-grade mineralization and strong potential for expansion.
- Aggressive Exploration Strategy: More than 10,000 metres of RC drilling campaign is underway, complemented by air-core and diamond programs, aimed at growing the Central Zone resource and testing multiple regional targets.
- Attractive Valuation Entry: With a market capitalization of just ~AU$10 million and an EV of AU$8.5 million (as of Q1 2025), Pacgold provides a low-cost entry into a potentially Tier 1 gold system.
- Experienced Leadership: The board includes proven mine developers and discovery geologists with prior success at Chalice, AngloGold Ashanti, BHP and Sibanye-Stillwater.
Key Project
Alice River Gold Project
The Alice River gold project is a large-scale, greenstone-hosted gold system centred on the regional ARFZ, located in Northern Queensland. The project area comprises 377 sq km of contiguous tenure, including eight granted mining leases. Pacgold controls over 30 km of strike length along the ARFZ, a major crustal-scale structure that has only recently been systematically explored with modern techniques.
The deposit style is interpreted as an intrusion-related gold system, a highly attractive deposit type known for hosting long-life, large-tonnage gold mines. Examples include the Fort Knox gold mine in Alaska and the Hemi gold project in Western Australia. The Alice River system features sheeted quartz-sulfide veining, extensive sericite-altered zones, and strong IP chargeability responses coincident with surface gold anomalism.
Pacgold’s 2024 and 2025 drilling campaigns have focused on the Central Zone, which yielded the maiden MRE totaling 474,000 oz gold across both open pit and underground resources. The pit-constrained resource includes 10.6 Mt at 1.2 g/t gold (404,000 oz), with a further 1.5 Mt at 1.4 g/t gold (71,000 oz) defined for underground potential. High-grade zones remain open at depth and laterally, with drill spacing still relatively broad (~80 x 80 metres), leaving significant scope for resource expansion.
Beyond the Central Zone, the company has delineated multiple high-priority regional targets along the ARFZ. These include:
- White Lion: A compelling target with surface gold anomalism and a coincident IP chargeability anomaly. A gradient and dipole-dipole IP survey is being extended in Q2 2025, with drilling expected in Q4.
- Victoria and The Shadows: Emerging prospects to the south with limited historical drilling but strong geophysical responses.
- Posie and Southern Target Area: Additional areas along the southern ARFZ strike that exhibit strong structural preparation, geochemical responses and potential for concealed mineralization.
Drilling recommenced in April 2025, with RC drilling underway and air-core and diamond drilling scheduled through Q3 2025. The program aims to increase drill density in resource zones and test underexplored regional anomalies. Pacgold expects up to 15,000 metres of total drilling during the 2025 campaign, coupled with ongoing geophysical targeting, including IP and drone magnetics.
The project is fully permitted, with strong access and logistics, and is located in a low-risk jurisdiction with significant precedent for gold development. With limited historical exploration and clear mineralizing controls now defined, Alice River represents a transformative opportunity to uncover a Tier 1 discovery in an overlooked Australian belt.
Management Team
Matthew Boyes – Managing Director and CEO
Matthew Boyes is a geologist with over 28 years of international experience across mine geology, exploration, corporate leadership and capital markets. He has managed exploration teams and development projects across Western Australia, the Americas and Europe. His technical oversight and commercial strategy guide Pacgold’s resource growth and investor engagement.
Caoilin Chestnutt – Non-executive Chair
A former head of business development at BHP and currently head of technical services at Thiess, Caoilin Chestnutt brings nearly 30 years of experience in global exploration strategy, M&A and deal structuring across multiple commodities. She is also deputy chair of Critical Minerals at the Queensland Exploration Council.
Michael Pitt – Non-executive Director
Michael Pitt is the co-founder of New Century Resources (ASX:NCZ), and former VP of business development at Sibanye-Stillwater (JSE:SSW). He currently leads development at Broken Hill Mines. His expertise in mine redevelopment and business strategy supports Pacgold’s long-term operational execution.
Richard Hacker – Non-executive Director
Former CFO and GM commercial at Chalice Mining (ASX:CHN), Richard Hacker played a key role in the Julimar discovery. He has held leadership roles at Liontown Resources and DevEx. Hacker contributes deep experience in financial oversight and strategic planning for discovery-stage companies.
Bruce Kendall – Non-executive Director
Bruce Kendall is an award-winning exploration geologist with over 30 years in exploration management at AngloGold Ashanti, Chalice Mining, Jabiru Metals and IGO. He was a key contributor to the Tropicana, Julimar and Coyote discoveries, and brings essential geological insight to Pacgold’s targeting and evaluation.
Geoff Lowe – Exploration Manager
As a Competent Person and seasoned exploration geologist, Geoff Lowe is responsible for executing Pacgold’s field campaigns. He has played a central role in resource modeling, target generation and drill program design for the Alice River project.
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21h
WGC: Gold Keeps Climbing, Future Hinges on Economic and Geopolitical Crossroads
Gold has notched an extraordinary first half of 2025, climbing 26 percent in US dollar terms and setting 26 new all-time highs — but the rally now faces a murky and fragile second act shaped by inflation, monetary policy, and unresolved global tensions, according to the World Gold Council’s (WGC) recent mid-year report.
Investors around the globe turned to gold as both a tactical hedge and a strategic store of value, pushing trading volumes to an all-time high of US$329 billion per day in the first six months of the year.
The WGC’s mid-year outlook suggests the precious metal’s momentum could continue, but with significant caveats. Under current consensus forecasts, gold is likely to remain rangebound in the second half, potentially rising another 0 to 5 percent.
However, sharp deviations in macro conditions — particularly those involving stagflation, recession, or worsening geopolitical risks — could lift gold by an additional 10 percent to 15 percent before year-end.
A record-breaking first half
Gold’s 26 percent gain in H1 made it one of 2025’s top-performing major assets. The yellow metal benefited from a rare combination of global factors: a declining US dollar — which had its worst start to a year since 1973 — muted Treasury yields, and a sharp uptick in geopolitical tensions, many linked to US trade policies and regional flashpoints.
These factors created fertile ground for strong inflows into exchange-traded funds (ETFs), over-the-counter (OTC) markets, and futures.
Gold ETF holdings surged by 397 metric tons in the first half — the highest since August 2022 — bringing total holdings to 3,616 tonnes and pushing total assets under management to $383 billion, a 41 percent increase from the start of the year.
Central banks, too, continued to buy gold, albeit at a moderated pace compared to the record-setting quarters of 2022 and 2023. Although net purchases have slowed, they remain significantly above the pre-2022 average of 500–600 metric tons annually.
Why investors piled in
According to the WGC’s Gold Return Attribution Model (GRAM), three key drivers contributed to gold’s H1 surge: risk and uncertainty, opportunity cost, and momentum.
Investor demand stemming from heightened geopolitical and financial risks contributed approximately 4 percent of gold’s return, with half of that explained by a measurable increase in the Geopolitical Risk Index.
A further 7 percent of the return was attributed to changes in opportunity cost, primarily due to the weakening dollar and low bond yields, which made non-interest-bearing gold relatively more attractive.
Lastly, momentum effects, including continued ETF inflows and trend-following investment behavior, added another 5 percent, supporting the metal’s climb through positive feedback loops.
Altogether, these macro and market-based dynamics explained around 16 percentage points of gold’s 26 percent performance in the first six months of the year.
The outlook: Three scenarios for H2
While gold’s fundamentals remain supportive, analysts are cautious about expecting a repeat performance in H2. The WGC outlines three macroeconomic paths that could shape gold’s direction in the second half.
In the base case, moderate global growth and inflation settling near 5 percent could keep real yields subdued, especially if the US Federal Reserve cuts rates by 50 basis points in the fourth quarter.
This environment would likely support gold prices modestly, with forecasts pointing to gains of up to 5 percent. Continued interest from ETF and OTC investors could offset softer consumer demand and increased recycling, both of which may act as speed bumps for further upside.
The bull case envisions a sharp rise in gold if economic conditions worsen — either through stagflation or a full-blown recession.
A flight to safety could trigger renewed ETF inflows, central bank diversification away from the dollar, and heavier positioning in COMEX futures. Under this stress-driven rally, gold could surge another 10 to 15 percent in H2, echoing the strong performance seen during previous crises like 2008 and the early pandemic years.
On the flip side, a more stable geopolitical and macroeconomic environment, such as a resolution to major global conflicts or normalization in trade, would dampen demand for gold. In this bear case, stronger yields and renewed investor appetite for risk assets could pull gold down by as much as 12 to 17 percent.
No matter the outcome, gold continues to serve as a resilient portfolio hedge. Its strong showing in the first half of 2025 reaffirmed its utility in volatile markets, particularly as traditional safe havens like US Treasuries struggle to deliver.
Even if jewelry and retail demand sees pressure, structural support could come from institutional players — including reports that Chinese insurers are quietly upping their gold allocations.
For now, gold may consolidate. But should conditions turn, the metal still has plenty of room to move, in either direction.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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16 July
Wide Gold Intercepts at Mt York Support Future Resource Growth
Three diamond drill rigs on site at 1.4Moz Mt York Gold Project, WA, with 56% of Stage 1 resource drilling complete; Results extend mineralisation along strike and at depth; good continuity of higher-grade shoots confirms new structural model
Kairos Minerals Ltd (ASX:KAI) (“KAI” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce results from the first 16 diamond holes drilled at its Mt York Gold Project in WA’s Pilbara, where current resources at the Main Trend sit at 1.4Moz Au. The results are from Gossan Hill (7 holes), Breccia Hill (5 holes) and Main Hill (4 holes) (Table 1), and are shown on drill plan (Figure 1) and long-section (Figure 2).
Highlights
- 36 holes for 10,025m completed at Mt York, ahead of schedule and on-budget; Stage 1 is an 80-hole, 18,000m resource expansion program
- Results for 16 holes received, with best intercepts including:
- 21m @ 1.87 g/t Au from 169m incl 9m @ 3.19 g/t Au (25MYDD009);
- 5m @ 4.26 g/t Au from 299m (25MYDD010);
- 34m @ 0.81 g/t Au from 242m incl 7m @ 2.66 g/t Au from 269m (25MYDD012);
- 24m @ 1.17 g/t Au from 222m incl 7m @ 2.62 g/t Au from 222m (25MYDD016);
- 48m @ 1.03 g/t Au from 227m incl 11m @ 3.38 g/t Au from 264m (25MYDD017).
- Higher-grade mineralisation consistently reported across Main Trend confirming and extending high-grade shoots at all prospects
- Encouraging first results likely to positively impact grades and widths of mineralisation for an updated resource estimate later in 2025
- Drilling accelerated with third diamond drill rig capable of low-angle drilling on site at the highly prospective but under-drilled Main Hill Prospect
Stage 1 drilling aims to boost gold resources at Mt York and test extensions of high- grade shoots ahead of a mineral resource estimate (MRE) update expected in 2H CY25. Stage 2 drilling later in the year or early 2026 aims to convert Inferred resources to higher confidence Indicated resources.
Kairos Managing Director Dr Peter Turner said: “The first results from Mt York continue to reinforce our belief in the potential scale of this project, and we are on track to deliver a new and much improved mineral resource estimate later in 2025 incorporating at least 18,000m of additional drilling results. We continue to ask ourselves ‘how big is the Mt York gold resource’ and will increase and expand Stage 1 drilling if we believe the mineralisation continues to be open which appears to be the case at the moment.
We are seeing good widths of mineralisation in areas where the resource model is unguided and importantly, solid higher-grade gold intercepts within the lower-grade envelopes. From the previous 2023 resource, Mt York has more than 750,000 ounces of gold at 1.6 g/t Au and the current drilling is confirming that high-grade shoots are both horizontal within the system, but also likely to be extensive (>300m) along-strike in both footwall and hangingwall positions. This is great news.
We are drilling the western half of the large Main Hill Prospect where the mineralised banded iron formation (BIF) host rocks attain 100m in true thickness but where topographic challenges previously prevented drilling. With a suitable small-footprint rig now in place, we can see an assemblage of sulphide-bearing BIF in many drill holes in this area that is associated with free-milling gold mineralisation in other parts of the Main Trend.
With drilling scheduled to continue into September and possibly beyond, we look forward to releasing results as they become available.
We are confident Mt York will become one of the Pilbara’s (and Western Australia’s) largest undeveloped gold resources with clean metallurgy once drilling is complete.”
Drill Results
Results from the first 16 holes are shown in Table 1. The Stage 1 drill holes have been designed to test the grades and widths of mineralisation and purposely looking for extensions of higher-grade pods within the entire 3,000m-long Main Trend Gold Deposit. The positions of the drill holes and their results are shown on Figure 1 (plan view) & Figure 2 (long-section).
Holes 25MYDD007 to 25MYDD009 test gaps in the resource model at Breccia Hill and confirm multiple zones of mineralisation, where 25MYDD009 returned high-grade core of 9m @ 3.19 g/t Au from 176m. This confirms the extension of a high-grade pod of mineralisation some 75m away from historic drillhole KMYD040’s result of 10m @ 4.90 g/t Au from 257m1, that confirms that higher-grade mineralisation may well form significant, horizontal zones previously not recognised yet confirmed in recent structural interpretation.
Deeper drilling into the eastern side of Main Hill has infilled and extended mineralisation with holes 25MYDD010, 012, 014 and 017. Big gains in both mineralisation width and grade are captured in hole 25MYDD017 that intercepted multiple zones including 48m @ 1.03 g/t Au from 227m including a higher-grade zone of 11m @ 3.38 g/t Au from 264m. This extends a new zone of high-grade mineralisation on the footwall position and forms part of the horizontal-plunging, high-grade zone drilled >300m to the west in hole 25MYDD012 (7m @ 2.66 g/t Au from 269m) extending to 25MYDD010 (5m @ 4.26 g/t Au from 299m) (see Figure 2). Another 5 drillholes are planned to the west of these holes to test the extension of the high-grade mineralisation for a further 500m to the west (Figure 1).
The results of the mineralised intercepts are considered close to true widths as the mineralisation has been intercepted orthogonally.
A third diamond drill rig (DDH1 drill rig #83) capable of low-angle drilling has been sent to site to accelerate the program, especially at the poorly tested but prospective Main Hill Prospect. Historic drill results of 109m @ 2.09 g/t Au from 50m (MYD24A) entirely in banded iron formation (BIF) host rocks demonstrate the importance of this prospect. The mineralised banded iron formation (BIF) rocks are the thickest (~100m true thickness) in the area but due to the topographic and access challenges around the hill, the Main Hill target has, until now, been inaccessible for drill rigs.
Holes 25MYDD001-006 are largely testing the mineralised banded iron formation (BIF) on the extreme eastern end of the Main Trend at Gossan Hill.
Rig #83 is drilling the Main Hill Prospect extensively from both the northern and southern sides of the hill (see Photo 2) to truly understand the scale of the resource in this area. There is plenty of evidence that high-grade mineralisation exists at this prospect. Results for these holes (25MYDD023, 028, 031, 032, 033, 034 – see Figure 1 and 2 for location of holes) are awaited.
Further drill results are expected throughout July, August and September and will be released to the ASX once routine quality-assurance, quality-control (QAQC) checks have been completed.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Kairos Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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16 July
Drilling Commences at Leonora South Gold Targets
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