Forgent plc (AIM: FORG) has taken a further step towards its maiden drilling programme at the Green Rock copper-gold project in Western Australia, submitting a heritage notice to Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) ahead of a proposed 10-hole reverse circulation drilling campaign.
The Australian-focused critical and precious metals explorer, which holds a 99% interest in Green Rock, is seeking the necessary heritage clearance to investigate high-priority copper-gold targets identified through historical exploration and recent surface sampling.
The proposed programme comprises approximately 1,200 metres of reverse circulation (RC) drilling, with individual holes planned to reach a nominal maximum depth of 120 metres.
The initial campaign will concentrate on three prospective areas — East, Central and North — where previous exploration has identified copper-bearing structures considered suitable for follow-up drilling.
Historical drilling at Green Rock returned an intersection of 1 metre grading 14.1% copper, with gold values reaching 1.1 grams per tonne.
More recent exploration by Forgent during 2026 produced selected rock-chip samples containing up to 54.5% copper and 1.47g/t gold at Ming Bore North, while subsequent sampling returned grades of up to 29.4% copper and 4.8g/t gold.
Although these results demonstrate the presence of high-grade copper-gold mineralisation at surface, rock-chip samples are selective and cannot be considered representative of the wider deposit. Drilling will be required to establish the continuity, thickness and grade of mineralisation beneath the surface.
At the East target, Forgent proposes four RC holes to investigate multiple parallel mineralised lodes interpreted to extend across approximately 200 metres of strike.
The structures appear broadly aligned with the local geological layering, although historical trenching undertaken in the area has not yielded assay results currently available to the company.
Five holes are planned at the Central target, where geological interpretation suggests the presence of at least two parallel mineralised lodes.
The proposed drill orientations have been designed to intersect these structures while limiting the requirement for additional ground disturbance.
One initial hole is proposed at the North target, where Forgent intends to test an interpreted mineralised structure at depth. The area is also believed to contain at least two parallel prospective lodes.
The company’s geological interpretation draws on historical drilling in the nearby Minga area, where mineralised structures are thought to dip approximately 80 degrees towards the north.
This interpretation has informed the planned drilling angles, although the geological model will require confirmation through modern exploration.
Green Rock covers approximately 31.5 square kilometres in the Ashburton Mineral Field of Western Australia’s southern Pilbara region and hosts five identified copper-gold prospects.
Despite its historical exploration results and encouraging recent surface sampling, the project has not yet been subjected to modern systematic drilling, making the proposed campaign an important first test of the current geological interpretation.
Forgent has positioned preliminary drill collars in relatively flat and accessible areas where possible, seeking to minimise earthworks and environmental disturbance.
However, the heritage notice does not itself constitute approval to drill.
YMAC will assess the proposed activities and determine whether a formal heritage survey is required before the programme can proceed.
Drilling also remains conditional on confirmation of access to the proposed locations, receipt of other necessary regulatory approvals and satisfaction of funding requirements.
As a result, Forgent has not yet confirmed a commencement date for the maiden drilling campaign.
The proposed programme follows the company’s wider strategy of advancing copper and precious metals exploration opportunities across its Western Australian portfolio.
For investors, the submission of the heritage notice represents a practical step towards testing Green Rock’s high-grade copper-gold occurrences, rather than confirmation that drilling is ready to commence.
The planned 10-hole campaign should provide initial geological and assay information to help determine whether the surface mineralisation extends into potentially significant subsurface structures.
The next milestones will be YMAC’s heritage assessment, confirmation of the final drilling locations and receipt of the outstanding approvals, after which Forgent will be better positioned to advance its first modern systematic drilling programme at Green Rock.
