Resolution Minerals Drills Golden Gate as Gold Recoveries Hit 95%

Oxide Gold: Cyanide Leaching at 94-95% Recovery

Gold-bearing oxide samples with a composite feed grade of 0.55 g/t gold were subjected to direct cyanide leaching. At a grind size of 150 microns (µm), extraction reached 94.2% after 24 hours. A finer 75µm grind lifted extraction to 95.5%. After 48 hours, residue grades fell to 0.04 g/t gold, with recoveries ranging from 92.7% to 93.8%. The high recoveries at a relatively coarse 150µm grind suggest that a heap-leach operation could be viable for oxide material, keeping capital and operating costs low. The oxide composite weighed 21.4 kg and was taken from shallower material expected to have undergone significant weathering.

Sulphide Gold: Flotation with 86-88% Recovery

Gold-bearing sulphide samples with a composite feed grade of 1.91 g/t gold were subjected to rougher flotation testing. At a 106µm grind, recovery was 86.4%, producing a combined gold grade of 49 g/t. A finer 75µm grind increased recovery to 88.7%, although the gold grade decreased to 26.4 g/t due to higher silica recovery. The trade-off between recovery and concentrate grade is typical for sulphide flotation. The higher silica pull at finer grinds dilutes the concentrate grade, which would increase downstream processing costs. Further test work will now focus on reagent optimisation, followed by rougher, regrind, and cleaner testing to determine the optimum concentrate grade and recovery.

Mineralogy and Sample Composition

The sulphide composite represented material below the supergene zone and weighed 63.9 kg. Qualitative mineralogy by Diamantina Laboratories found the sample was approximately 90% quartz and more than 5% mica, with fresh sulphides including pyrite and arsenopyrite representing around 0.5%. The oxide sample was predominantly quartz with less than 10% sericitic mica and possible kaolin, with scanning electron microscopy detecting goethite, jarosite, scheelite, monazite, pyrite, and antimony-iron oxide inclusions.

Historical Tungsten Production and 1.85% Stockpile Grades

Golden Gate is not a greenfields story. The area produced tungsten historically, with the most recent mining in 1980. Stockpiles at the Johnson Creek mill site assayed 1.85% tungsten trioxide, a grade that would be economic at current tungsten prices. The 2026 program will drill around the old workings to see whether the historical production only scratched the surface of a larger system.

Tungsten is a critical mineral with supply concentrated in China. A domestic US source would carry strategic value, and the Horse Heaven project's location in Idaho places it in a mining-friendly jurisdiction with existing infrastructure. For broader commodities trends, see commodities analysis.

Next Catalyst: Assay Results and Reagent Optimisation

The 2026 drill program will generate a steady flow of news. The first assay results from Golden Gate North and South are the nearest catalyst. Investors will watch for:

• Gold grades and widths that confirm or exceed the 189.2m at 1.30 g/t intercept
• Tungsten grades from the Golden Gate South anomaly and around the historical workings
• Metallurgical follow-up on sulphide flotation, specifically whether reagent optimisation can improve the recovery-grade trade-off

Resolution's board and major investors have visited the Horse Heaven project and witnessed the first drill hole of the season. The site visit included Golden Gate, the Johnson Creek mill, and Antimony Ridge, signalling that the company is treating 2026 as a defining year for the project.

The combination of a large drill program, high oxide recoveries, and a clear sulphide processing pathway gives Resolution a more concrete value proposition than it had before the metallurgical results. The market will now wait for the drill bit to confirm that the gold and tungsten mineralisation is as extensive as the geochemistry and historical data suggest. For more on gold market dynamics, see gold profile.