Charger Metals NL has mobilised a reverse circulation drill rig and commenced a 10,000-metre drilling programme at its 100%-owned Lake Johnston Lithium Project in Western Australia.

The campaign is designed to test extensions and provide infill data at the Medcalf deposit, alongside testing the Medcalf West Exploration Target. The 10,000-metre programme will effectively double the total metres previously drilled at the project.

The Medcalf deposit holds an inferred mineral resource estimate of 10.6 million tonnes at 1.0% lithium oxide and 107 parts per million tantalum pentoxide. That figure marks an increase from the maiden resource of 8.2 million tonnes at 1.0% lithium oxide reported previously. The Medcalf West target holds an exploration target of 3 million to 5 million tonnes grading 1.0% to 1.4% lithium oxide.

Managing Director Bryan Dixon said the new drilling builds on 10,936 metres of historical drilling completed to date.

“This builds on the 10,936m drilling completed to date and is focused on further infill and extension drilling of the Medcalf Spodumene Deposit which we recently upgraded to 10.6 million tonnes at 1.0% Li2O for 106kt contained Li2O, a significant increase from the maiden resource published 13 months ago.”

— Bryan Dixon, Managing Director

The current drilling programme is fully funded by the $3,752,000 cash proceeds received from the sale of the Bynoe Lithium Project to Core Lithium on 17 July 2026. Charger regained full ownership of the Lake Johnston project in December 2025 after Rio Tinto Exploration withdrew from a farm-in agreement that had funded $4.2 million in exploration.

Following the resource upgrade, the Charger board has committed to completing a scoping study for Lake Johnston. Once the 10,000-metre drilling programme concludes and assay results are received, the company plans to revise the Medcalf mineral resource estimate.

“This 10,000m programme will nearly double the total metres drilled to date and has the potential to increase the confidence as well as resource size given it remains open both down dip and along strike.”

— Bryan Dixon, Managing Director

The company is targeting ongoing work to demonstrate the economic potential of the project, which is situated within trucking distance of four spodumene concentration plants and approximately 200 kilometres from the port of Esperance.

Read the full announcement: Charger aiming to grow 10.6Mt Medcalf Lithium Resource