West Coast Silver Drills 67.1m of Silver Beyond Elizabeth Hill Resource

BY WILLIAM HADRIAN ON AUGUST 13, 2026

West Coast Silver Ltd

  • ASX Code: WCE
  • Market Cap: $42,714,031

West Coast Silver Drills 67.1 Metres of Silver from Surface at Elizabeth Hill, Extending Mineralisation Beyond the Current Resource

West Coast Silver Limited (ASX: WCE) has reported broad near-surface silver intersections from diamond drilling at its Elizabeth Hill Silver Project in Western Australia. The standout result is 67.1 metres at 19 g/t silver from surface in hole 26WCDD036. According to the ASX announcement, the drilling has extended and infilled mineralisation north and west of the current 2.8 million ounce silver Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), with several intercepts sitting outside the April 2026 block model.

The latest results matter because they support the view that Elizabeth Hill hosts more than the currently modelled resource. West Coast Silver stated that the broad shallow silver zone remains open in all directions and may add both volume and contained metal to the existing MRE ahead of an updated JORC 2012 resource estimate planned for Q4 2026.

A Historic High-Grade Silver Project With Fresh Growth Potential

Elizabeth Hill is already well known in Australian silver circles due to its unusually high historical production grade. West Coast Silver noted that historical underground mining between 1999 and 2000 produced 1.2 million ounces of silver from 16,830 tonnes of ore at a head grade of 2,194 g/t silver.

Mining stopped in 2000 because silver prices were low at the time, not because the mineral system had been fully tested. That distinction remains important for investors. A project with past production, an existing mining lease and known silver mineralisation often carries a different development profile from a pure early-stage exploration story.

In April 2026, West Coast Silver reported an MRE of 2.8 million ounces of silver for Elizabeth Hill. Furthermore, this latest diamond drilling update suggests the mineralised footprint may be broader than that initial estimate captured, particularly to the west and north of the current model.

What Did the Executive Director Say?

"The latest drilling results continue to confirm that silver mineralisation at Elizabeth Hill extends beyond the historical underground mine and is associated with a broader mineralised structural corridor along the Munni Munni Fault," said Sergei Smolonogov, Executive Director.

He added that the footprint of lower-grade mineralisation north and west of the existing MRE has been "expanded and infilled but not closed out."

Key Drilling Results from Elizabeth Hill North

In the report, holes 26WCDD031 to 26WCDD036 targeted the Elizabeth Hill North area. These holes were designed to infill and extend the mineralised zone north and west of the April 2026 MRE block model. The company reported broad intervals of low to moderate grade silver mineralisation hosted in intensely silica-altered granite and quartz-carbonate veins within the Munni Munni Fault Zone (MMFZ).

Significant Silver Intersections Reported

Hole From (m) Interval (m) Grade (g/t Ag) Notable Internal Zones
26WCDD036 0.0 67.1 19 12.3m @ 22 g/t from 24.7m; 10.9m @ 24 g/t from 43.9m
26WCDD035 1.5 48.5 19 25.5m @ 23 g/t from 16m; 3.2m @ 20 g/t from 7m
26WCDD033 35.5 24.0 14 2.7m @ 22 g/t from 35.5m
26WCDD033 5.0 8.8 19 2.7m @ 39 g/t from 10m
26WCDD033 23.0 7.5 19 5.5m @ 26 g/t from 25m
26WCDD032 44.0 9.0 15 1.02m @ 21 g/t from 44m
26WCDD032 72.0 11.4 15 Included in broader mineralised zone
26WCDD031 79.0 5.0 14 Associated with the MMFZ

All reported intervals are down-hole widths, not true widths. West Coast Silver said true widths are not yet known due to the geometry of the mineralised bodies and drill hole orientation.

Two results stand out on scale alone. Hole 26WCDD036 returned silver from surface through a 67.1-metre interval, while hole 26WCDD035 returned 48.5 metres from just 1.5 metres down hole. Broad, near-surface mineralisation may be relevant to future mining studies, as it can support evaluation of lower-strip, open-pit style scenarios, although no mining method has been confirmed in this announcement.

Why Does the Munni Munni Fault Zone Matter?

The geological setting is central to understanding why these results could be repeatable along strike.

A fault zone is an area where rocks have broken and shifted. These structures can act as pathways for hot mineral-bearing fluids moving through the crust. When those fluids cool or react with surrounding rocks, metals such as silver can be deposited.

At Elizabeth Hill, the Munni Munni Fault Zone is described as the main structural host for silver mineralisation. In the announcement, West Coast Silver said silver is hosted in intensely silicified granite and quartz-carbonate veins within this structure. That matters because structurally controlled mineralisation can often be followed with systematic drilling if the controlling geology is understood.

The two western holes, 26WCDD035 and 26WCDD036, intersected very broken, intensely silicified granite and gneiss over wide intervals. According to the company, this may indicate either a widening of the MMFZ or the presence of a cross fault intersecting the main structure. Either interpretation suggests additional geological complexity, and potentially additional room for mineralisation outside the current resource envelope.

What Is a Mineral Resource Estimate?

A Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) is a formal estimate of the amount of mineralisation identified in the ground, including its grade and geological confidence. In Australia, these estimates are reported under the JORC 2012 Code. An MRE is not the same as an ore reserve, and it does not guarantee economic extraction, but it is a core valuation marker for exploration and development companies.

Mineralisation Outside the Current Resource Model Is the Key Investor Point

The most important feature of this drilling update is not only the headline intercepts, but where some of them sit relative to the current model.

West Coast Silver stated that all silver intersections in 26WCDD032 from 44 metres downward are outside the previously reported MRE. The company also said the 24-metre interval at 14 g/t silver from 35.5 metres in 26WCDD033 is outside that estimate.

That distinction matters because these are not simply confirmation holes inside an already-defined resource shell. However, they provide direct evidence that silver mineralisation extends beyond the April 2026 block model. If continuity is supported by further drilling, these intervals may contribute to resource growth in the next update.

For investors following silver exploration stocks, this is often the transition point that attracts closer attention: moving from validating an existing resource to demonstrating credible additions beyond it.

Elizabeth Hill Deeps Offers a Separate High-Grade Target

The diamond drilling programme also tested the deeper Elizabeth Hill Deeps target, which is a different part of the story from the broad shallow mineralisation at Elizabeth Hill North.

Hole 26WCDD030 was drilled to test the potential continuation of the high-grade silver zone identified below historical workings. Previous drilling in this area had returned strong intersections, including historical underground hole UGD084 with 7 metres at 607 g/t silver from 57 metres, including 2 metres at 1,995 g/t silver, and 26WCDD029 with 3 metres at 524 g/t silver from 183 metres, including 1.5 metres at 1,039 g/t silver.

In this latest update, hole 26WCDD030 returned only minor silver mineralisation below the 10 g/t reporting threshold. Nevertheless, the report framed the result as structurally useful. The hole passed through granite footwall and helped constrain the northern extent of the newly identified high-grade zone.

West Coast Silver now interprets the EH Deeps zone as a roughly 50-metre long, north-south, sub-horizontal mineralised trend at 140 to 150 metres below surface. It remains open to the east and south, which the company identified as priority directions for follow-up drilling.

A newly interpreted sub-vertical northwest-trending fault splay may also help explain how the deeper mineralisation is controlled. This remains under investigation, but it provides a clearer framework for planning future drill holes.

Understanding the Two Exploration Themes

The current drilling update effectively outlines two separate exploration themes at Elizabeth Hill:

  1. A broad, near-surface silver zone north and west of the current MRE, with potential to increase overall resource volume.
  2. A deeper, higher-grade silver target below and east of historical workings, with potential to add grade and optionality.

That combination can be important in silver projects. A wider lower-grade envelope may support bulk tonnage potential, while a discrete higher-grade zone may influence future mine planning if continuity and scale are confirmed. In addition, these are exploration results rather than development outcomes, and the extent to which either zone contributes to project economics will depend on future drilling, resource modelling and economic studies.

What Investors Should Watch Next

In the ASX update, West Coast Silver set out a clear sequence of planned work through the second half of 2026.

Planned Project Milestones

Activity Timing
Final diamond core assays for holes 26WCDD037-039 By end of August 2026
Surface and downhole geophysical surveys including IP, CSAMT, EM and downhole EM Q3 2026
Updated JORC 2012 MRE Q4 2026
Scoping Study commencement Q4 2026
Additional step-out and infill diamond drilling H2 2026

The geophysical work is planned north of the current drilling area toward the Maitland prospect. According to the announcement, this is partly supported by the observation that high-grade lead can flank high-grade silver at Elizabeth Hill, and by earlier scout aircore hole 25WCAC008, which returned 0.5 metres at 61 g/t silver from 8 metres.

The company also said future drilling will focus on:

  • Depth extensions below holes that ended in mineralisation
  • Infill drilling to support conversion of Inferred resources to Indicated
  • Along-strike extensions at Maitland and Elizabeth Hill South

Why This Drilling Update Matters to the WCE Investment Case

West Coast Silver's latest report adds weight to three parts of the investment thesis.

First, the current 2.8 million ounce MRE may not reflect the full mineralised footprint. Several new intercepts lie outside the model, which supports the case for a larger future estimate if continuity is confirmed.

Second, the near-surface nature of some intercepts stands out. Intervals beginning at or close to surface, particularly in 26WCDD035 and 26WCDD036, are often viewed favourably because they may offer more flexibility in future development studies.

Third, Elizabeth Hill combines a historic high-grade production profile with ongoing exploration upside. That is a relatively uncommon mix on the ASX silver market, especially where a granted mining lease and surrounding tenure are already in place.

Furthermore, West Coast Silver noted that it now controls a contiguous 180 km² land package covering a significant portion of the Munni Munni Fault system and parallel structures prospective for Elizabeth Hill-style mineralisation. That provides regional exploration upside beyond the core deposit, although those targets remain earlier stage.

The Bottom Line

According to the 13 August 2026 ASX announcement, West Coast Silver has extended and better defined a broad shallow silver zone at Elizabeth Hill, with the headline 67.1 metres at 19 g/t silver from surface highlighting the scale of mineralisation west of the current resource.

Just as important, multiple intersections sit outside the April 2026 MRE block model, providing fresh evidence that the existing 2.8 million ounce resource may grow. With final assays due by the end of August, geophysics planned for Q3, and both an updated MRE and scoping study scheduled for Q4 2026, Elizabeth Hill enters a period with several identifiable catalysts for the market to assess.

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Stock Codes: ASX: WCE

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