This is what high-grade really means.

Key Concepts

• Epizonal Orogenic Gold Deposit: A type of gold deposit formed at shallow crustal levels (typically <6km depth) characterized by high-grade mineralization.
• Antimony: A critical metal often associated with gold deposits; it adds significant economic value and strategic importance to the project.
• High-Tenor Gold: Refers to the high concentration or "tenor" of gold within the mineralized zones.
• Underground Decline: A tunnel or ramp driven from the surface to access underground ore bodies for more efficient drilling and extraction.
• Gold Equivalent (AuEq): A calculation that combines the value of multiple metals (gold and antimony) into a single gold-based figure to represent the total value of the ore.

Project Overview: Southern Cross Gold

Southern Cross Gold is an exploration and development company focused on an epizonal orogenic gold deposit located in Victoria, Australia. The project is distinguished by its high-grade gold and antimony mineralization.

Economic and Strategic Value

• Mineral Composition: Antimony accounts for 10% to 20% of the project's total value. Because antimony is classified as a "critical metal," its presence provides strategic advantages, particularly regarding government permitting and project support.
• Grade Quality: The deposit exhibits exceptionally high-grade results. A notable recent drill result reported 1.8 meters at 80.5 g/t gold equivalent, with localized grades reaching as high as 7,330 g/t.

Operational Scale and Expansion

• Drilling Activity: The company is currently operating 10 drill rigs on-site. Following a capital raise of approximately $150–160 million in mid-2025, the company is aggressively scaling operations.
• Future Scaling: The company plans to accelerate drilling capacity to 24 rigs. Additionally, $20 million has been earmarked for regional exploration to identify new, similar deposits in the surrounding area.

Permitting and Infrastructure

• Underground Development: To improve drilling efficiency and access, the company applied for an underground decline.
• Regulatory Environment: The project benefited from a highly responsive government, with the permitting process for the decline completed in just four months—a timeframe the company describes as the fastest they have encountered.
• Current Status: Surface works are currently underway, with the transition to underground operations scheduled for the current year.

Synthesis and Conclusion

Southern Cross Gold is leveraging a high-grade, epizonal gold-antimony deposit in Victoria to drive rapid growth. By utilizing a significant capital injection to scale from 10 to 24 drill rigs and transitioning to underground operations, the company is prioritizing both the expansion of its current resource and the discovery of new regional targets. The project’s success is bolstered by the strategic value of antimony and a highly efficient, supportive regulatory environment in Victoria.