Wedoany.com Report-Dec.1, Strata Minerals has launched its maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign at the 100%-owned Zelica gold project in Western Australia's Goldfields region.

The project is located within 50km of several gold deposits exceeding 1moz.

The programme targets shallow, high-grade oxide gold mineralisation along a 1 km strike zone that remains open in all directions. It comprises 20–25 holes for a total of approximately 2,000 metres, combining infill and step-out drilling to confirm and extend historical results.

Zelica lies on a granted mining licence in the Laverton Province, less than 50 km from several deposits exceeding one million ounces and multiple operating processing plants. No significant exploration has occurred at the site for over ten years, creating substantial discovery potential.

"We are delighted to have our maiden drilling programme under way at Zelica, demonstrating our intent to move fast and add value through drilling," said Peter Woods, managing director of Strata Minerals. "The drilling will provide first insight to the extent of mineralisation at depth and verify some of the outstanding historical results."

Historical intercepts outlined near-surface, high-grade oxide gold across the 1 km trend. With the project fully permitted and current gold prices at record levels, the company aims to rapidly validate the known mineralisation and evaluate opportunities for early production.

"Given the Zelica Project is located in a world-class gold mining district with multi-million-ounce deposits and processing mills within trucking distance, we believe it offers outstanding potential to deliver near-term value for shareholders,” Woods added. “We look forward to delivering the first batch of results from this programme expected early Q1 2026."

Assay results from the initial campaign are anticipated early in the first quarter of 2026. The programme marks the first systematic modern exploration at Zelica in more than a decade and represents a key step in Strata Minerals' strategy to unlock value from its Western Australian gold assets.