Exploration activity continues to build momentum across Australia, with Rincon Resources Limited, Hillgrove Resources Limited and Auravelle Metals Limited advancing key portfolio initiatives across gold and copper provinces.
Hillgrove relinquishes lower-prospectivity exploration ground
Hillgrove Resources Limited has relinquished a number of exploration tenements considered to have lower prospectivity, as the company streamlines its regional exploration portfolio around its flagship Kanmantoo copper mine.
The company has completed a prospectivity review of its South–Eastern Delamerian tenement package and has relinquished over 2000 km2 of lower–prospectivity ground.
The move is part of Hillgrove’s ongoing strategy to focus exploration efforts on higher-priority targets that offer stronger potential to support future resource growth near existing infrastructure.
The company said the decision followed internal geological reviews of its exploration tenure, with relinquished ground assessed as having limited prospectivity relative to other opportunities within the portfolio.
Hillgrove continues to prioritise exploration programs around Kanmantoo and across prospective areas of South Australia, where it is targeting extensions to known mineralisation and new copper opportunities.
The company said streamlining its tenement portfolio allows resources to be directed toward projects with the greatest potential to deliver long-term value and support its ambition of becoming a multi-asset Australian copper producer.
Commenting on the latest exploration activities, Hillgrove chief executive officer and managing director Bob Fulker said the 2026 exploration program has a dual focus: extending the Kanmantoo Resources and testing highly prospective near greenfield targets.
“Both of these are important steps in our organic growth strategy to potentially utilise the spare mill capacity at the Kanmantoo Copper Mine,” Fulker said.
Rincon raises $3.1m to accelerate Telfer South drilling
Rincon Resources Limited has secured $3.1 million through a placement to professional and sophisticated investors, strengthening its balance sheet as it prepares to expand exploration across its Western Australian projects.
Funds from the placement will support upcoming drilling campaigns, with a primary focus on the company’s Telfer South gold-copper project in the Paterson region. Rincon is targeting extensions of mineralisation at the Hasties prospect and broader targets across the project area.
Technical director Michael Griffiths said the capital raise would allow the company to accelerate exploration activity.
“This capital raise will allow us to expand our drilling efforts at our 100% owned Telfer South Gold-Copper Project, where we recently announced a significantly larger prospect than originally thought,” Griffiths said.
Griffiths noted historic Newcrest data indicates surface mineralisation at Hasties extends over more than one kilometre of strike, with rock-chip samples reporting grades of up to 37g/t gold and 21 per cent copper. Rincon plans to mobilise a drill rig to site once weather conditions allow.
Auravelle launches major exploration phase at Nuckulla Hill
Auravelle Metals Limited has commenced a new phase of exploration at its Nuckulla Hill project in South Australia, targeting additional gold discoveries along the highly prospective Yarlbrinda Shear Zone.
The program includes a detailed aerial magnetic survey covering the entire 40km strike length of the shear zone, designed to refine structural interpretations and generate new drill targets. The high-resolution survey will collect more detailed data than previous work, helping define prospective zones across the broader project area.
Additional technical work is underway at the Sheoak prospect, including down-hole televiewer surveys to better understand structural controls on mineralisation and preliminary metallurgical testwork to assess gold recovery characteristics. Follow-up RC drilling is scheduled to commence in the coming weeks to test extensions of mineralisation along strike and at depth.
Managing director Andrew Muir said exploration momentum is building across the project.
“Work is rapidly advancing at Nuckulla Hill on multiple fronts, with the magnetic survey aimed at identifying new gold targets along the highly fertile Yarlbrinda Shear Zone,” Muir said.
Further aircore drilling and exploration programs are planned through 2026 as Auravelle continues to advance its South Australian gold portfolio.
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