Argent Minerals Limited has received regulatory approvals from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to commence its maiden drilling campaign at the 100%-owned Trunkey Creek Gold Project.

The approvals clear the way for the company to move the historical goldfield from surface exploration into its first systematic drill testing. The Phase 1 program will comprise 10 diamond and reverse circulation holes for approximately 1,000 metres, designed to test priority targets within a 4.7-kilometre gold-mineralised structural corridor.

Drilling is scheduled to begin in early September 2026. Orange-based Chief Drilling has been appointed as the drilling contractor, with at least one rig secured for the campaign.

Prior exploration by Argent at Trunkey Creek established the 4.7-kilometre mineralised corridor through surface mapping, geochemical sampling, and historical data reinterpretation. The project sits approximately 9 kilometres by road southeast of the company’s flagship Kempfield Project in New South Wales.

Historical workings across the corridor are generally shallow and remain largely untested below the water table. Historical records indicate that mining previously ceased in areas where mineralisation was still improving due to groundwater inflows rather than exhaustion of the gold-bearing structures.

“Trunkey has steadily developed from a compelling historical gold story into a genuine drill-ready exploration opportunity, and this program is the next important step in determining what sits beneath the exceptional gold we have already identified at surface.

— Mike McKevitt, Chief Executive Officer

Argent expects to receive assay results from the Phase 1 drilling program approximately six weeks after drilling gets underway.

Read the full announcement: Maiden drilling to test 4.7km Trunkey gold corridor