Taruga taps into Thowagee

Taruga Minerals (ASX: TAR) has launched field exploration at its newly acquired Thowagee Project in WA’s northern region, ushering the start of a promising new phase in the company’s base and precious metals strategy.

Located within a 416.5km² tenement package, Thowagee is surrounded by Taruga’s existing licence applications and includes the historically productive Thowagee mine. The former operation extracted polymetallic ore from hydrothermal quartz veins, with 1956 records indicating the recovery of 15.2t of lead and 5878g of silver.

More recent historical sampling has revealed high-grade outcrop potential. Rock chip results have returned grades of up to 59.3% lead and 286g/t silver, with copper, gold and zinc also present. Highlights from the sampling include:

• 286g/t silver, 59.3% lead (TH9)
• 134g/t silver, 0.6g/t gold, 30.3% lead (TH16)
• 88g/t silver, 0.39g/t gold, 15.5% lead, 4.35% copper (TH12)
• 19.5% copper, 0.55g/t silver (TH8)

Taruga is currently undertaking mapping and rock chip sampling across the Thowagee mine and surrounding areas, with a view to validating and expanding upon historic findings. Emphasis is being placed on identifying the extent of outcropping gossans and mineralised shears that were only briefly noted in earlier exploration records.

Taruga managing director David Chapman says the campaign is an exciting step as it sharpens its focus on high-grade base and precious metal systems.

“The commencement of field work in the Gascoyne represents an exciting new chapter for Taruga, as we pursue base and precious metal targets in an area with numerous high grade outcropping workings, with minimal modern exploration,” he said.

The exploration team has recently been supported by the addition of geologist Luke Blais, known for his award-winning work on Dreadnought Resources’ (ASX: DRE) Gifford Creek carbonatite discovery.

Thowagee lies along two prominent mineralised shear zones trending north-northeast and north-northwest, where multiple open workings have now been traced over 200m of strike. The project area also includes the Thowagee bore site, where historic records indicate mineralisation containing lead, silver, copper and zinc, although production data remains unverified.

Ongoing work will include integrating existing geophysical datasets — including radiometrics, VTEM, magnetics and outcrop mapping — to refine targeting across the project area. Field observations are being supported by laboratory assays, petrography and XRF analysis to quantify grades and verify mineral associations.

Taruga holds an exclusive six-month option to acquire 100% of Thowagee from Western Silver for $85,000 in shares. The company has already paid a $15,000 option fee.

The company acknowledged the support and cooperation of the Buurabalayi Thalanyi Aboriginal Corporation and the Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, who represent the traditional custodians of the land.

Results from the current program will inform follow-up exploration, including planned drilling later this year.