Strata Minerals Maiden Drilling Results Confirm High-Grade Gold at Zelica

Strata Minerals Strikes Gold with Exceptional Maiden Drilling Results at Zelica

Strata Minerals Limited (ASX: SMX) has delivered outstanding results from its Strata Minerals maiden drilling results at the Zelica Gold Project, with 22 out of 23 holes returning significant gold intersections across a 1km strike length. The standout performance includes intersections of 10m @ 3.18g/t Au and 9m @ 2.07g/t Au, confirming the project's potential as a high-grade, shallow oxide gold deposit in Western Australia's premier Laverton Province.

The 23-hole RC drilling programme (1,970m) has successfully validated and extended the known mineralisation, with gold remaining open at depth and along strike. Located on a granted mining licence with existing infrastructure including a pre-stripped pit and vat leach ponds, Zelica presents compelling near-term development opportunities in the current high gold price environment.

Outstanding Drill Results Exceed Expectations

The Strata Minerals maiden drilling results have delivered consistent high-grade intersections that validate the project's geological model and economic potential. Furthermore, key results demonstrate exceptional continuity across the deposit with remarkable consistency.

Main Lode Highlights:

• SZRC015: 10m @ 3.18g/t Au from 37m including 3m @ 8.36g/t Au
• SZRC019: 9m @ 2.07g/t Au from 44m including 2m @ 7.02g/t Au
• SZRC004: 8m @ 1.45g/t Au from 74m
• SZRC007: 7m @ 3.00g/t Au from 51m
• SZRC002: 4m @ 4.20g/t Au from 54m
• SZRC021: 3m @ 4.64g/t Au from 45m including 1m @ 11.80g/t Au

Hanging Wall Lode Discovery:

• SZRC013: 6m @ 2.26g/t Au from 55m
• SZRC015: 2m @ 3.42g/t Au from 17m

The drilling has revealed excellent continuity within a consistent 60°-70° east-dipping shear zone, with mineralisation hosted in highly deformed quartz-sericite and carbonate-chlorite schist. Moreover, the identification of parallel hanging wall and footwall lodes presents significant upside potential for resource expansion.

Understanding Orogenic Gold Deposits: Why Zelica Matters

Orogenic gold deposits represent some of the world's most valuable and reliable gold sources. These deposits form during mountain-building events when gold-bearing fluids are channelled along major structural zones like shear systems.

Key characteristics that make orogenic deposits attractive:

• High-grade ore shoots within broader mineralised zones
• Predictable structural controls enabling targeted exploration
• Excellent metallurgical properties with typically >90% gold recovery
• Multiple parallel lodes offering expansion potential

Zelica exhibits all these characteristics, with its 60°-70° dipping shear zone providing excellent structural control for mineralisation. In addition, the discovery of hanging wall lodes demonstrates the potential for stacked ore bodies, significantly increasing the deposit's size potential.

Strategic Location Delivers Infrastructure Advantages

Zelica's position in the world-class Laverton Province provides exceptional infrastructure access and development advantages. The location offers immediate proximity to established mining operations and processing facilities.

The project benefits from decades of previous development work, including metallurgical testing demonstrating >90% gold recovery through vat leaching and 96% recovery through conventional milling. Consequently, this existing infrastructure and proven metallurgy significantly reduces development timeframes and capital requirements.

What Makes These Results So Compelling?

The Strata Minerals maiden drilling results stand out for several critical reasons that distinguish this project from typical exploration ventures. The 96% success rate across the drilling programme is exceptionally high by industry standards.

Most exploration programmes typically achieve success rates between 30-50%, making Strata's achievement particularly noteworthy. However, the consistency of results across the 1km strike length demonstrates geological continuity rarely seen in early-stage projects.

The shallow nature of mineralisation, with intersections starting from just 17 metres depth, presents immediate advantages for potential mining operations. Furthermore, the oxide nature of the gold mineralisation ensures excellent metallurgical characteristics for processing.

Immediate Development Pathway Takes Shape

"These Strata Minerals maiden drilling results are impressive with 22 out of the 23 holes delivering consistent shallow high-grade gold hits across the 1km strike that remains open at depth and along strike. Given Zelica is situated on a granted mining licence in one of Australia's premier tier-1 gold districts, surrounded by world-class operations and existing mills within trucking distance, our focus will also be on assessing the potential for near term mining opportunities to take advantage of current high gold prices." – Peter Woods, Managing Director

Near-term Catalysts:

1. Follow-up drilling programme – Late February 2026
2. Initial Mineral Resource Estimate – Clear pathway established
3. Geochemical sampling at Zelica South – Early February 2026
4. Mining opportunity assessment – Leveraging granted licence status

The recently acquired Zelica South Project extends the prospective corridor to +8km, providing substantial exploration upside along the same structural trend that hosts the main Zelica mineralisation.

Expansion Potential Across 8km Strike Length

The expanded project area now covers approximately 8km of highly prospective structural corridor that has received limited focused exploration. Historical work has identified gold mineralisation along this trend, but systematic drilling has been lacking until now.

Exploration Upside:

• Untested repetitions of the mineralised trend to east and west
• Parallel shear systems identified through recent drilling
• Down-dip extensions remain largely unexplored below 90m
• Strike extensions along the 8km corridor

The geological model suggests multiple opportunities for resource expansion, with the hanging wall lode discovery indicating potential for parallel mineralised structures. In addition, these could significantly increase the total resource base beyond current estimates.

Why Should Investors Track Strata Minerals?

Strata Minerals has positioned itself as a compelling gold exploration story with several unique advantages that differentiate it from competitors. The combination of proven results and development-ready infrastructure creates multiple value creation pathways.

Investment Highlights:

• Proven high-grade gold system with excellent continuity
• Granted mining licence enabling rapid development
• World-class jurisdiction in established mining district
• Existing infrastructure reducing development costs and timeframes
• Experienced management team with clear development strategy
• Multiple value catalysts over the next 6 months

The combination of shallow, high-grade oxide mineralisation on a granted mining licence with proven metallurgy and existing infrastructure presents a rare opportunity in the current market. With gold prices near historic highs, Zelica offers potential for rapid value creation through near-term production scenarios.

What Happens Next for Strata Minerals?

The company has outlined a clear development pathway that leverages the success of the Strata Minerals maiden drilling results. The upcoming drilling programme will focus on extending mineralisation along strike and testing parallel lode systems identified in the initial programme.

Resource definition work will commence following the completion of additional drilling, with the company targeting an Initial Mineral Resource Estimate in the coming months. However, the granted mining licence status provides flexibility for potential early-stage mining opportunities.

The Zelica South acquisition adds significant exploration potential, with historical data suggesting similar mineralisation styles across the extended 8km corridor. Furthermore, this expanded footprint provides multiple targets for systematic exploration and potential resource growth.

Technical Analysis: Understanding the Geology

The geological setting at Zelica reflects typical Archaean greenstone belt characteristics that host many of Western Australia's premier gold deposits. The east-dipping shear zone provides excellent structural control for gold mineralisation.

Glossary of Terms:

• RC Drilling: Reverse Circulation drilling using compressed air to return samples
• Fire Assay: Industry-standard method for accurately measuring gold content
• Oxide Mineralisation: Weathered gold ore typically amenable to heap/vat leaching
• Shear Zone: Geological structure where rocks have been deformed, often hosting gold

The mineralisation style observed at Zelica is consistent with orogenic gold deposits found throughout the Yilgarn Craton. These deposits typically exhibit excellent continuity and predictable ore shoots, making them attractive for both exploration and mining.

The Strata Minerals maiden drilling results have demonstrated exceptional exploration success at Zelica, with 96% drill hole success rate delivering consistent high-grade results across a 1km strike. With a granted mining licence, proven metallurgy, and existing infrastructure in a tier-1 gold district, the company is well-positioned to rapidly advance toward resource definition and potential near-term mining opportunities. The upcoming drilling programme and 8km exploration corridor provide multiple catalysts for continued value creation.

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