Antipa Minerals (ASX: AZY) has expanded the new discovery drilling program at its Minyari gold-copper project in Western Australia's Paterson Province, following receipt of the third batch of assay results from Phase 1 CY2026 drilling.

The new discovery drilling program was originally scheduled to comprise 258 holes for approximately 26,540 metres, including 205 air core holes (13,280m), 51 RC holes (11,960m) and two diamond core holes (1,300m).

RC drilling has tested a series of gold and copper targets across and around Minyari Dome, including Fiama North, GEO-01 South and Yolanda, together with the new Tim's Dome target. Diamond core drilling has been completed at GEO-01 Main Zone (partial assays received), WACA and Minyari North, before moving to Tim's Dome.

Phase 1 air core drilling has been completed along the four-kilometre-long AL01 gold-copper corridor, the Yolanda Trend, Chicken Ranch and Parklands. Air core drilling is currently underway at Jezabeel.

Managing Director Roger Mason said additional new discovery drilling will continue to focus on priority gold and copper greenfield targets and existing prospects proximate to the Minyari Dome deposits, including but not limited to Judes and Mollie.

At Tim's Dome, the conductor extends for approximately 1.2km, is between 200m and 470m wide, and currently remains immediately beneath the limits of RC drilling. Selected RC holes are now being extended with diamond core tails to directly test the conductor. The reference to a Telfer-style reef interpretation draws on the geology of the historic Telfer gold-copper mine, which lies in the same Paterson Province region and has long served as the exploration model for deposits in this part of Western Australia.

Elsewhere, drilling extended mineralised hangingwall lodes at GEO-01 Main Zone (further assays pending), identified copper±gold±pathfinder anomalism along the Yolanda Trend, and defined three additional coherent gold, copper and pathfinder anomalies at AL01, each extending for 500m to 700m.

"Batch 3 results have further strengthened Tim's Dome as one of our priority new discovery targets," Mr Mason said. "We've now confirmed gold-copper-lead-silver mineralisation in a further five holes spread over more than a kilometre of strike, directly above the large AEM conductor that remains untested.

"The geological setting, metal association and geometry of the conductor continue to support the Telfer-style reef interpretation we are currently about to test, with diamond tails on several select RC holes now underway. We expect to reach the AEM conductor target in the coming weeks and will eagerly await results."

Mr Mason said that elsewhere the program continues to generate additional opportunities, with new anomalies defined at AL01 and along the Yolanda Trend, plus further mineralised lodes extended at GEO-01.

"Now with three rigs active across Tim's Dome, Minyari Dome and Jezabeel, and a strong pipeline of targets across the broader Minyari project, we're set for a productive period of new-discovery focused exploration drilling, as we advance our Minyari Dome pre-feasibility study toward completion," he said. The upcoming diamond core intersections of the AEM conductor at Tim's Dome, along with pending assays from GEO-01 Main Zone, are the next key results to watch from the program.

On the ASX, AZY shares were down 5.38% to 61.5 cents, with a market capitalisation of $430.9 million.

Source: The Market Online Australia