Godolphin confirms broad NSW copper-gold porphyry at Goodrich

Godolphin Resources has strengthened the case for a potentially sizeable copper-gold porphyry discovery in central New South Wales after drilling at its Goodrich project returned broad mineralised zones starting close to surface.

The company’s latest assay results delivered a standout 136.55-metre intercept grading 0.32 per cent copper, 0.16 grams per tonne gold and 43 grams per tonne molybdenum from 81.45m, a classic element signature confirming the presence of an extensive mineralised porphyry system beneath historic workings.

A particularly rich contact zone near the top of the mineralised intrusion returned 3.55m at 2.8 per cent copper and 0.18g/t gold from 81.45m.

Within the broader interval, the company also highlighted several higher-grade zones, including 26m at 0.52 per cent copper and 0.24g/t gold from 102m, 12m at 0.45 per cent copper and 0.36g/t gold from 131m, and 5m at 0.66 per cent copper and 0.49g/t gold from 158m, the latter including the best molybdenum value of 191.8g/t moly.

‘The broad, near-surface mineralised interval intersected in GGDD004 demonstrates the scale potential of the system.’

A second diamond drill hole added further support to the emerging exploration model, intersecting 52.97m at 0.20 per cent copper and 0.02g/t gold from 29.15m, including 4.75m at 0.56 per cent copper and an elevated molybdenum response to 404.4g/t moly.

Godolphin’s Goodrich project forms part of the company’s larger Yeoval-Goodrich copper-gold joint venture about 70 kilometres northwest of the city of Orange in the renowned Lachlan Fold Belt.

Importantly for Godolphin observers, the company retains a 49 per cent interest in the project after its Canadian partner Great Plains Metals completed the initial earn-in stage and secured 51 per cent of the project.

Great Plains has now elected to pursue a 70 per cent stake by spending a further $1M on exploration over the next year, importantly allowing Godolphin to maintain exposure without funding the upcoming work programs.

Godolphin Resources managing director Ms Jeneta Owens said: “The confirmation of a copper-gold porphyry mineralisation at Goodrich is an excellent outcome for Godolphin and our partner Great Plains. The broad, near-surface mineralised intercept in GGDD004 validates the exploration model at Goodrich and highlights the potential scale of the system.”

Geologically, the results look particularly encouraging. The drilling has intersected chalcopyrite (copper sulphide) bearing monzonite porphyry which has intruded as a stock.

Monzonite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock that contains roughly equal amounts of plagioclase feldspar and alkali feldspar, with less than 5 per cent quartz. It is compositionally intermediate between syenite and diorite.

In this context, monzonites - and quartz monzonites - are often well-mineralised because they are associated with volatile-rich, intermediate magmas that often form major porphyry copper and skarn ore systems

The intrusion also exhibits mineralised unidirectional solidification textures (UST’s) which are features commonly associated with fertile copper-gold porphyry systems.

UST’s are typically rhythmic, layered bands of comb-like quartz and aplite – very fine-grained “sugary” quartz - that grow inward from the upper margins of cooling magma chambers. They can be major pathfinder indicators for exploration geologists looking for large ore systems suggesting the ground may hold further treasures lurking beneath.

Stocks are defined as igneous intrusions from depth which punch upwards across existing rocks layers and may cover a surface area of up to 100 square kilometres. The name separates stocks from larger bodies usually referred to as batholiths and which might otherwise be of the same composition.

Management says the results validate the company’s exploration model and point to the potential scale of the emerging system.

The partners are also reviewing historic drill core and have submitted 324 previously unassayed samples for laboratory testing, with results expected to help refine targeting across the broader project area.

The latest success follows a busy few weeks for Godolphin. In a July investor presentation, the company highlighted the Yeoval-Goodrich joint venture as a key growth opportunity alongside its flagship Lewis Ponds gold-silver-base metals project and the planned Matrix Critical Minerals spin-out of its Narraburra rare earths asset.

Earlier this month, Godolphin outlined plans for the Matrix IPO, which is targeting an $8M-$12M raising and a separate ASX listing in the second half of 2026.

With a funded partner advancing drilling at Goodrich and fresh assay results still pending from historical core, Godolphin looks well-placed to maintain its momentum across what is shaping up as one of the company’s key value drivers in its diverse NSW portfolio.

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