Barton Gold Reports High-Grade Results from Tunkillia’s Area 51 Zone

Konrad Forrest
Barton Gold

27 May 2026 | South Australia - Barton Gold has reported new high-grade assay results from its Tunkillia Gold Project in South Australia, with drilling at the Area 51 zone indicating potential resource growth, open pit extensions and longer mine life.

The results are the first assays from Barton’s ongoing Phase 2 reverse circulation drilling program, which is targeting approximately 30,000 metres of Resource upgrade drilling across the Tunkillia project. The latest results come from within the currently modelled Area 51 optimised open pit.

Key results include:

  • 52m at 0.95 g/t gold from 101m, including 2m at 2.84 g/t gold
  • 40m at 1.64 g/t gold from 155m, including 2m at 3.83 g/t gold
  • 46m at 1.13 g/t gold from 137m, including 5m at 2.34 g/t gold
  • 43m at 1.82 g/t gold from 39m, including 8m at 3.79 g/t gold, 2m at 4.14 g/t gold and 2m at 6.65 g/t gold
  • 39m at 1.12 g/t gold from 52m, including 6m at 3.46 g/t gold

Barton said the broadest and highest-grade assays were returned from the northern and southern ends of the currently modelled open pit, suggesting potential for further extensions of higher-value mineralisation. The company said the results broadly validate the existing model, while also indicating upside within and along strike of the Area 51 pit.

Barton Managing Director Alexander Scanlon said the results were higher-grade than anticipated and could point to potentially higher-value mineralisation, Resource growth and extensions to the optimised open pit and mine life.

Why it matters: The Tunkillia project is one of Barton’s key development assets in South Australia’s Gawler Craton. The latest Area 51 results support the company’s broader plan to upgrade Resources, convert material to Ore Reserves and progress a Pre-Feasibility Study.

Barton’s May 2025 Optimised Scoping Study outlined a potential development producing approximately 120,000 ounces of gold and 250,000 ounces of silver annually. The study also estimated total life-of-mine operating cash of around A$2.7 billion, with an unlevered pre-tax NPV of approximately A$1.4 billion, using assumed gold and silver prices of A$5,000/oz and A$50/oz respectively.

The company said its Phase 2 drilling program remains underway, alongside an approximately 3,000 metre diamond drilling program for geotechnical and metallurgical analysis. Both programs are targeting completion during June 2026.

Barton is targeting completion of a Pre-Feasibility Study before the end of calendar year 2026, which is expected to support a Mining Lease application and project finance discussions.

For South Australia’s gold sector, the results add further momentum to a project that Barton is positioning as a future gold and silver development opportunity, supported by its existing regional portfolio and 100% ownership of the Central Gawler Mill.

Source: Barton Gold ASX announcement, “High-Grade Assays Indicate Growth for Tunkillia’s Area 51”, 27 May 2026.