Dreadnought Resources Ltd (DRE) has officially kicked off an extensive drilling campaign at its Illaara gold project, located in the Yilgarn region of Western Australia. The program consists of 23 reverse circulation holes totalling 2,080 metres and 15 diamond holes spanning 1,730 metres. This work focuses on the Metzke's Find area, where the company aims to expand its current high-grade gold resource. The project’s existing resource stands at 24,900 ounces at 5.2 g/t gold, with 84% already classified in the indicated category.

The drilling strategy has three primary objectives: adding new ounces along strike and at depth, collecting material for metallurgical testing, and upgrading the classification of the existing resource. By twinning previous RC holes with diamond core, the company expects to gather essential structural data to refine its targeting of high-grade lodes. Management believes there is significant potential to build on recent exploration successes.

"Even after our recent Resource update at Metzke's Find, we see opportunity to further increase shallow ounces, particularly around the Metzke's North discovery."

"This program aims to add ounces and further upgrade the high-grade Resource as we advance Metzke's Find towards studies, approvals and production."
— Dean Tuck, Managing Director

The current program is expected to wrap up within three to four weeks, with assay results anticipated to arrive through September and October 2026. This data will be instrumental in supporting subsequent open-cut and underground mining studies as the company advances the project toward potential production.

Dreadnought has a busy schedule ahead regarding its broader exploration pipeline. Investors can expect a steady stream of information, including results from air-core drilling at Illaara due between July and August, alongside an upcoming upgrade to the JORC Exploration Target at Gifford Creek this month. Furthermore, the company plans to begin infill air-core drilling at its Black Oak and CRA targets in August. The Metzke's Find study, incorporating the latest findings, is scheduled for release in September or October.

Read the full announcement: RC and Diamond Drilling Commenced at Metzkes Find