Sandfire Resources has reported high-grade drill assays from near-mine exploration prospects across its MATSA and Motheo operating hubs, highlighted by a 14.4-metre intercept grading 14.5% zinc and 0.4% copper at the newly identified La Juliana prospect in Spain.

Drillhole CCM-90 at La Juliana intersected the polymetallic massive sulphide mineralisation from 307 metres within an untested prospective horizon of the Volcanic-Sedimentary Complex. The hole also returned 4.4% lead, 0.6 g/t gold and 158.1 g/t silver over the interval, following an off-hole electromagnetic plate identified from earlier drilling at the prospect, located about 700 metres south-east of the Castillejitos orebody.

Sandfire completed 46 near-mine exploration holes at the Magdalena mine’s Masa 2 West and Masa Olivo areas for 27,971.6 metres, alongside four holes at La Juliana totalling 2,596.2 metres. Magdalena West drilling confirmed high-grade extensions that remain open down plunge, including hole MAG-X-314-B, which returned 5.5 metres at 3.1% copper from 524 metres, and hole MAG-X-324 intersecting 4.15 metres at 3.0% copper from 655 metres.

At the Motheo hub in Botswana, drilling beyond the current resource and reserve envelope at the A1 prospect returned strong grades, including hole A1RD229 with 10 metres at 5.3% copper and 111.6 g/t silver from 225 metres. Hole A4DD318 at A4 West returned 19 metres at 1.1% copper from 742 metres from a campaign totaling seven holes at A1 and three at A4 West.

“Having made the important decision to restructure our global exploration team last year to align accountability more closely with our operations, we're particularly pleased to report strong progress in the recently completed half year as we intensified our focus on the drill bit in and around our existing processing hubs. The exciting results that we've released today reinforce our confidence in the prospectivity of the Iberian Pyrite and Kalahari Copper Belts and the potential for new discoveries.
— Brendan Harris, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director

Immediate follow-up work at La Juliana will involve additional drilling and downhole electromagnetic geophysics in the first half of fiscal 2027 to evaluate strike and plunge extensions as part of Sandfire's strategy to expand its reserve life in Spain and Botswana.

Read the full announcement: Sandfire Near-Mine Exploration Update