en.Wedoany.com Reported - At the Croesus Project in New Zealand's Reefton Goldfield, Critical Resources Ltd (ASX:CRR, FRA:9S70) has confirmed the presence of a gold-antimony mineralization system through its initial reconnaissance sampling program, with gold grades up to 13.3 g/t and antimony values up to 6,990 ppm.
Results from the company's rock chip, float, and historical ore dump sampling program along the Croesus-Minerva trend have validated its exploration model for structurally controlled gold-antimony mineralization within the Greenland Group metasedimentary rocks.
The highest gold grade was detected in a historical ore dump sample containing sulfides and stibnite, returning 13.3 g/t gold and 2,240 ppm antimony. Other notable results include: 8.13 g/t gold in a quartz sample with pyrite; 2.56 g/t gold and 242 ppm antimony in a quartz sample containing sulfides, pyrite, and possible galena; and 1.61 g/t gold with 6,990 ppm antimony in a quartz sample containing chalcopyrite, stibnite, and pyrite. According to the company, although the highest grades came from displaced material associated with historical mining and ore processing activities, these samples provide important clues for locating potential mineralized bedrock sources and do not represent in-situ grades or mineralization continuity.
Critical Resources also identified gold mineralization in bedrock. In-situ sample A1483 returned 1.58 g/t gold within quartz-carbonate stockwork veins in intensely altered Greenland Group rocks. This indicates that gold mineralization remains preserved within the bedrock system and is not solely confined to transported material associated with historical mining activities. Management believes that the high-grade gold-antimony results from around historical workings, combined with anomalous gold in bedrock, collectively confirm the company's interpretation of a structurally controlled mineralized corridor extending along the Croesus-Minerva trend.
The presence of antimony is attracting increasing market attention. Beyond gold, antimony has been classified as a critical mineral by Australia, the United States, and the European Union, and is listed as a priority resource in Australia's 2025-2030 Critical Minerals Strategy. Following China's export controls implemented in 2024, global markets have experienced severe supply constraints. New Zealand has also identified gold-antimony mineralization within the Reefton Goldfield as a priority area for critical mineral development, giving the project significant strategic value beyond its gold potential.
The company is advancing the project into a more systematic exploration phase aimed at identifying the source structures responsible for mineralization. Subsequent plans include detailed geological and structural mapping of the quartz-sulfide vein system, systematic in-situ rock chip and channel sampling, and further investigations around historical workings and transport routes. Integration of gold-antimony geochemical data and prioritization of targets for future trenching and drilling are also planned. Additionally, Critical Resources is awaiting assay results from its standalone Granite Creek tungsten target, another critical mineral prospect within the broader Croesus project area.
Critical Resources remains active across its project portfolio. Recently, the company expanded the extent of pegmatite mineralization at its wholly owned Mavis Lake Lithium Project in Ontario. A field reconnaissance program at the Corona target identified a total of 14 pegmatite bodies, including six outcrops not previously mapped. These discoveries extend known pegmatite mineralization into the Mavis Lake northern corridor and bolster the drill target inventory ahead of the company's planned Northern Prospects drilling campaign in 2026. This 10-day field program focused on the Corona pegmatite field and nearby northern targets, located approximately 4 kilometers north of the existing Mavis Lake mineral resource (8.0 million tonnes at 1.07% Li₂O). Exploration activities encompassed systematic reconnaissance, geological mapping, and structural analysis, with 106 rock samples collected, 161 outcrop maps completed, and 74 structural measurements recorded. Managing Director Tim Wither stated that this work continues to highlight the scale of potential in the northern area of the project, which remains relatively underexplored compared to the broader Mavis Lake lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite system.
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