Great Western Wraps Up Key Drilling and Boosts Growth Pipeline

About Great Western Exploration Limited

Great Western Exploration Limited (ASX: GTE) is a mineral exploration company focused on copper, gold and other metals in Western Australia.  The company’s flagship project, Yerrida North, is located approximately 800 km north-east of Perth, hosting multiple key targets, including the Oval and Oval South Copper-Gold Targets, the Sumo Niobium Target, and the Juggernaut VHMS Copper-Gold Targets. Great Western Exploration Limited was listed on the ASX on 5 June 2007 at an issue price of AUD 4.25 per share.

Financial Performance

In a strategic move to optimise its portfolio, Great Western completed the sale of the Yandal West Gold Project to Albion Resources (ASX: ALB) during the March Quarter. The transaction delivered 22,222,222 fully paid ordinary shares in Albion valued at approximately AUD 1 million, along with 30 million performance rights. This equity position allows Great Western to retain exposure to potential future success at Yandal West without direct expenditure.

The Company reported an Exploration & Evaluation Expenditure of AUD 825,000 for the March 2025 Quarter, which was primarily allocated to drilling and geological modelling at Yerrida North and Lake Way.

Growth Pipeline

The March 2025 Quarter marked a phase of active field programs for Great Western.

The Company completed targeted drilling and advanced geological interpretations at the Oval and Oval South Copper-Gold Targets. Early geological indicators suggest proximity to a significant Volcanic Hosted Massive Sulphide (VHMS) system, modelled similarly to the DeGrussa Deposit. Assays from the latest diamond drilling are expected in May 2025 and will guide the next exploration phase.

Meanwhile, Great Western initiated drilling at the Sumo Niobium Target, a large 2km x 1km soil anomaly highly prospective for carbonatite-hosted niobium mineralisation. A total of 15 RC holes for 992 metres were drilled, with assays anticipated in June 2025. The Company is positioning Sumo as a potential critical minerals project, aligning with Australia’s strategic focus on niobium supply chains.

Significantly, the VHMS Copper-Gold Targets are advancing toward drilling commencement. Six individual prospects have been outlined and interpreted as part of a possible VHMS camp, increasing the probability of multiple discoveries within a concentrated zone.

Strategic Development

Lake Way Potash Project delivered promising outcomes during the Quarter. Drilling confirmed high-grade potassium values within basal sand units comparable to grades found within the adjacent producing SO4 project. These results strongly support the interpretation that Great Western’s Lake Way tenure hosts a downstream extension of SO4’s potash-bearing channel.

Great Western is reviewing further exploration drilling to define a maiden resource, contingent on improving sulphate of potash market conditions.

Concurrently, the Company is undertaking ongoing geological modelling at the Oval Target and compiling drilling data from Sumo for full geological interpretation once assays are received.

Industry Context

Demand for critical minerals, including copper and niobium, remains robust, driven by global electrification trends and supply chain diversification efforts.

Niobium has been classified under Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategy 2023-2030, strengthening government and private sector interest in new discoveries.

Similarly, despite recent market volatility, sulphate of potash continues to attract attention as a premium fertiliser product with applications in sustainable agriculture. Great Western’s alignment with critical minerals and agricultural sectors strategically positions it to benefit from supportive macroeconomic themes.