Western Exploration Drilling Confirms New Precious Metals Bearing Epithermal System at Aura Project with 3.0 Meters of 7.1 G/t Gold at Tomasina Fault Zone
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The November 17, 2025 news release provides the first assay results from five of nine Reverse Circulation (RC) drill holes completed at the Tomasina target, part of the Aura Gold-Silver Project in Nevada. The drilling program was designed to test a newly identified epithermal system.
The key highlight is from hole WG467, which intersected 3.05 meters of 7.1 g/t gold and 4.8 g/t silver. Other holes returned broader, lower-grade intercepts, such as 7.62 meters of 0.66 g/t gold and 13.3 g/t silver in WG466. The company notes that the geology, alteration, and mineralization are similar to the nearby Gravel Creek deposit and that the target remains open along a one-kilometer strike length. A total of 2,001 meters were drilled in the first five holes.
This news is materially positive. The company has been building a case for the Tomasina target since February 2025, describing it as a large, untested structural corridor analogous to their Gravel Creek deposit. They successfully raised C$5.0 million in June 2025 to fund this specific drill program. The results from the first five holes, particularly the high-grade intercept in WG467, validate the geological model and confirm the presence of a new precious-metals-bearing system.
- Confirmation of Thesis: The results provide the first tangible evidence that the Tomasina Fault Zone hosts high-grade gold mineralization, moving it from a conceptual target to a confirmed discovery. This was the primary exploration goal for the second half of 2025.
- Resource Growth Potential: While one narrow high-grade intercept does not define a resource, it strongly indicates the potential for resource expansion at the Aura Project, which already hosts the Doby George, Gravel Creek, and Wood Gulch deposits. The CEO's comment that the target remains open for one kilometer is key, suggesting significant room for follow-up drilling.
- Execution: The company successfully executed its stated plan: identify a target (Feb 2025), finance the work (June 2025), mobilize and drill (July-Oct 2025), and deliver positive results (Nov 2025). This progression demonstrates competent management.
From a critical standpoint, it is only one high-grade hit over a narrow interval. The other holes show the system is present but are not economically significant on their own. The market will need to see follow-up drilling that can connect these high-grade zones and demonstrate continuity and scale before re-rating the project. However, as an initial pass on a new target, this is a clear success and a material de-risking event for the exploration upside of the company.
Western Exploration Inc. is a precious metals exploration company focused on its 100%-owned Aura Gold-Silver Project in Elko County, Nevada. The project is a district-scale land package that hosts three established deposits: Doby George, Gravel Creek, and Wood Gulch.
The flagship development project is the Doby George deposit, for which the company released a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) in May 2025. The PEA outlines a 5-year, low-capex open-pit, heap leach operation. At US$2,150/oz gold, the project has an after-tax NPV(5%) of US$70.7 million and an IRR of 25.4%. The company's current exploration focus is on expanding the high-grade resources at Gravel Creek and making new discoveries, such as the recent drilling at the Tomasina Fault Zone.