Amara Minerals (ASX: AM3) has launched its latest drilling campaign at the Apollo Gold and Antimony Project in central Victoria with a strong opening assay, intersecting more than 57 metres of gold mineralisation, including a higher-grade core running above 5 grams per tonne.

The first three diamond holes at Apollo have been completed for a combined 862.5 metres. The program targets the Dig Fault Zone, with the specific aim of extending and strengthening the higher-grade portion of the mineralised system.

Results from the first hole, AA2601, returned 57.5 metres at 2.62 grams per tonne gold from 139.5 metres. Within that interval, Amara recorded a 20-metre section grading 5.13 grams per tonne gold from the same depth, including 10 metres at 8.04 grams per tonne from 141 metres.

The company said the result provides the type of width and grade it is looking for as it advances geological modelling and assesses the potential for a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate at Apollo. Apollo currently has no published Mineral Resource Estimate, so a maiden estimate, if it proceeds, would represent a key milestone in moving the project from exploration toward potential future development assessment.

Victoria's goldfields are a historically significant gold-producing region, and Apollo's gold-and-antimony characterisation aligns Amara with a broader cohort of explorers working across central Victoria. Antimony has also drawn increased attention in recent years given its listing as a critical mineral by several governments, including in Australia and the United States.

The program is now moving towards testing the Dig Fault Zone at depth, where mineralisation remains open. Amara said successful deeper intersections could extend the known vertical footprint of the zone and potentially increase the scale of any future resource.

A further three holes totalling approximately 2,000 metres are planned during the current campaign, subject to ongoing review of results.

Assays from AA2602 and AA2603 are expected around mid to late September, depending on laboratory turnaround times.

Once the Apollo program is complete, the company plans for the drill rig to return to its Lauriston Gold and Antimony Project during the December quarter. Upcoming catalysts for readers to monitor include the pending AA2602 and AA2603 assays, the deeper Dig Fault Zone drill results, and any company decision on commencing a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate.