In recent developments at ECR Minerals, significant progress has been made at our Bailieston Project in Victoria, with antimony drilling now officially underway.
Managing Director, Mike Whitlow and Chief Geologist, Adam Jones, shared in a recent update that this phase marks a pivotal moment for the company, driven by renewed interest and promising results from previous exploration activities.
The Growing Importance of Antimony and Why Bailieston Matters
Antimony has been gaining increasing attention in the mining sector due to its critical role in various industrial applications, including flame retardants, batteries, and alloys. Over the past few years, the price of antimony has seen a substantial rise, reflecting its growing demand globally. This market dynamic has encouraged ECR Minerals to revisit and reassess its assets, particularly at Bailieston, where previous drilling campaigns hinted at significant antimony potential alongside gold mineralisation.
Last year, our team undertook a detailed reanalysis of core samples from the 2021-22 drilling program at Bailieston. This was prompted by encouraging initial PXRF (Portable X-Ray Fluorescence) readings that suggested the presence of high-grade antimony mineralisation. The results were indeed impressive — one highlight being an intercept of 0.3 meters grading 32% antimony, an extraordinary figure that immediately caught our attention and validated the potential of the project.
Revisiting Bailieston: From Gold to Antimony
Historically, the focus at Bailieston had been primarily on gold exploration. While gold remains a valuable target, the resurgence of antimony interest has added a new dimension to our exploration strategy. Mike Whit explained how our field team, led by Adam, has been actively preparing for the new drilling campaign, including additional sampling and rock chip collection. These surface samples have returned highly anomalous results, with nearly half showing elevated antimony levels and over 50% indicating strong gold presence.
This dual presence of gold and antimony at surface and subsurface levels strengthens the case for a robust mineral system at Bailieston. The surface expressions now give us greater confidence that what we expect to find underground aligns well with the reanalysis outcomes from the previous drilling.
What We Are Aiming to Achieve With the Current Drilling Campaign
The current drilling program is designed to deepen our structural understanding of the mineralisation at Bailieston. One of the key goals is to confirm the consistency and extent of high-grade antimony zones, supported by ongoing gold mineralisation. The narrow vein style of mineralisation, typically 20 to 30 centimetres thick, is similar to other successful antimony-gold projects in the region.
Adam, who has been on-site, described the significance of these narrow veins, comparing them with the Costa Field operated by Mandalay Resources, located about 60 kilometres west of Bailieston. Costa Field is one of the few producers of antimony concentrate in the Western world, mining veins with antimony grades between 20% and 30%, often accompanied by gold. This comparison provides a valuable benchmark and highlights the economic potential of our project if similar grades and vein structures are confirmed.
Additionally, previous drilling near the current targets has returned gold grades exceeding 30 grams per tonne over short intervals, which is exceptional given the current high gold price environment. This reinforces the upside potential that Bailieston presents, not just for antimony but also for gold, creating a strong value proposition for ECR Minerals.
The Synergy Between Gold and Antimony: A Dual Commodity Opportunity
One of the most exciting aspects of the Bailieston project is the potential to capitalise on both gold and antimony mineralisation. Mike Whit highlighted how the presence of gold alone justifies revisiting the project, especially given the recent surge in gold prices. When combined with the extraordinary antimony grades detected, this creates a compelling “meat and potatoes” scenario where the project could yield multiple profitable commodities.
This dual commodity focus not only diversifies the project’s economic potential but also aligns with market demand for strategic minerals. Antimony’s critical role in modern technologies and gold’s enduring value as a precious metal makes Bailieston a strategically important asset in ECR Minerals’ portfolio.
Maintaining Momentum: Consistent News Flow and Transparent Updates
As drilling progresses, we are committed to maintaining a steady flow of results and updates to keep stakeholders informed. Our approach involves submitting assay results from a couple of drill holes at a time, ensuring a consistent news stream that reflects ongoing progress. Timely laboratory processing and efficient communication are crucial to this strategy, allowing the market to gain continuous insight into the evolving picture at Bailieston.
Mike emphasised the importance of transparency and regular communication since joining ECR Minerals. This approach fosters confidence among investors and industry observers, reinforcing the credibility of our exploration efforts and the potential upside of the project.
Looking Ahead: Unlocking Value at Bailieston
The Bailieston project is entering an exciting phase as we commence drilling specifically targeting antimony mineralisation with gold as a significant co-product. The combination of historic results, recent reanalysis, and new surface sampling paints a promising picture for this Victorian asset.
Our aim is to unlock the full value of Bailieston by better understanding the structural controls, confirming the continuity of high-grade zones, and ultimately proving the economic viability of mining these narrow but rich veins. The comparison to established producers in the region provides a clear pathway and validates the potential scale of this opportunity.
With the drilling campaign underway, ECR Minerals is well-positioned to build on its portfolio of strategic minerals, contributing to the growing demand for antimony and leveraging the enduring appeal of gold. We look forward to sharing further updates as results come in and as we continue to advance this exciting project.
