Patronus reveals a monster 44m gold hit at its Hydra target in the NT

Patronus Resources (ASX:PTN) completed 26 RC holes for 3,668m across Hydra and Hydrellison, and 28 holes for 3,514m at Grove Hill – with more assays on the way.

At Hydra, drilling returned a standout 44m at 0.76g/t Au from 96m which ended in mineralisation. The same hole also hit a separate 3m at 1.78g/t Au from 27m.

Hydra was generated through Patronus’ 2025 surface sampling campaign and sits within the folded Koolpin Formation near the Burnside Granite and Pine Creek Shear Zone.

The latest drilling is the first to return significant gold from a target position within an interpreted ~2.5km geochemical and structural trend. Earlier work mapped the broader Hydra surface anomaly over about 5km by 2km.

PTN managing director John Ingram said the first-pass results were reinforcing Patronus’ systematic surface-to-drill approach and had already changed the field-season plan.

“Our first-pass greenfields drilling at Pine Creek has returned encouraging results at both Burnside North and Grove Hill,” Ingram said.

“It is particularly pleasing to see the follow-up to last year’s lag sampling starting to deliver results, reinforcing our back-to-basics approach of systematically exploring across the broader tenement package.”

“We had originally expected to come back and follow this up next year, but the result is encouraging enough that we have adjusted the current programme and intend to get back in and test it again this field season.”

Grove Hill provides a second test of the same targeting model. It was also identified through the 2025 surface program and refined by infill sampling before this year’s first drilling.

Patronus tested three prospects across about 2km at Grove Hill. Results so far include 3m at 2.37g/t Au from 15m and 4m at 0.8g/t Au from 105m.

That surface-to-drill progression is playing out inside a gold province that still carries greenfields opportunity.

The Pine Creek Orogen has produced more than 4Moz of gold and contains nearly 18Moz in remaining gold resources, with the NT government identifying high potential for further greenfields discoveries.

Northern Territory Geological Survey work has also noted that much of the regional-scale structure and stratigraphy across the central and western Pine Creek Orogen has not been reviewed since the 1980s.

For PTN, remaining Burnside North and Grove Hill assays are expected in Q4. Follow-up drilling at Hydra is planned during the current field season subject to weather and site access, while planning and permitting for broader follow-up drilling in 2027 is also under way.