Beasley Creek Project - Independent Geological Review Confirms Orogenic Gold Potential
Independent Review Confirms Gold Potential at Beasley Creek
Perth, Dec 8, 2025 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Catalina Resources Ltd (
ASX:CTN) announced it has completed an independent technical review of the Beasley Creek Gold Project, undertaken by APEX Geoscience. The assessment consolidates all historical drilling, surface geochemistry, geophysical datasets and regional structural information into a unified exploration model across both the granted and pending tenements.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Independent review confirms strong prospectivity for shear-hosted orogenic gold across the project, positioned along the Mithgoondy Shear Zone and related structures
- Flamingo identified as the standout drill-ready target, defined by coincident soil anomalism, magnetic features, favourable lithologies and structural trends
- Historical drilling returned 4m @ 11.4 g/t Au (20-24m) in RRC15, with the mineralised zone remaining open to the north under updated structural interpretation
- Follow-up drilling is warranted, with prior work never properly testing the interpreted extensions along strike or at depth
- Regional setting is consistent with Paulsens-style gold systems, influenced by the northern Capricorn Orogen and mantle-tapping structures including the Soda Fault
- Pending tenements show gold-anomalous stream sediments, providing immediate secondary targets once granted
The outcomes provide a coherent basis for an initial, tightly focused exploration program, with clearly defined structural corridors, geochemical trends and drill-ready targets positioned to support the next phase of work. Catalina Executive Director, Ross Cotton, commented:
"This review sharpens our understanding of the structural architecture at Beasley Creek and confirms the presence of a coherent shear-hosted gold system. Importantly, it elevates Flamingo to a genuine high-priority target - a rare opportunity where soil anomalism, geophysics and historical high-grade drilling all align, yet the system remains effectively untested.
We now have a clear pathway to value: tighten the geochemical coverage, step north of the 11.4 g/t intercept, and prepare for targeted drilling once access and approvals are in place. With additional anomalies emerging on the pending ground, Beasley Creek is shaping as a project capable of delivering meaningful discovery outcomes for shareholders, and we will advance it aggressively."
Regional Context
Catalina's 100% owned Beasley Creek Project lies within a broader district (Figure 1*) that hosts several established gold deposits, including the former Paulsens Gold Operation, previously operated by Blackcat Syndicate (ASX:BC8). Paulsens produced 907,344 oz at 7.3 g/t Au, averaging approximately 75koz per annum between 2005 and 2017. The operation was subsequently acquired by Black Cat Syndicate for remnant mining of the existing resource, with first gold poured in December 2024.
Beasley Creek occupies a geologically prospective and underexplored portion of this district, where historical work has been limited in scope and depth, with minimal modern geophysics or systematic geochemical testing undertaken to date.
Structurally Controlled Orogenic Gold Setting
The Beasley Creek Project (Figure 2*) lies within the northern Capricorn Orogen, a region characterised by multiple tectonothermal events and deep crustal structures that have repeatedly channelled hydrothermal fluids. Within this framework, the project is influenced by the major Soda and Nanjilgardy Fault systems, which are interpreted to extend to the Moho and are recognised conduits for gold-bearing fluids, with documented associations to deposits such Blackcat Syndicate's (ASX:BC8) Paulsens gold operation.
At the project scale, the Mithgoondy Shear Zone forms a north-dipping mylonitic corridor marking the boundary between Archean granite-greenstone terrain and Fortescue Group stratigraphy, focusing deformation, alteration and fluid movement along its length. Importantly, the Mithgoondy Shear Zone passes directly through the Beasley Creek tenement, where it represents the principal structural feature controlling the distribution of lithologies and the localisation of hydrothermal pathways.
Together, the deep regional faults and the well-developed local shear system establish a structural architecture capable of supporting orogenic gold deposition, providing a strong and coherent geological basis for exploration targeting within the project area.
Flamingo Target Confirmed as a First-Order Drill Priority
The Flamingo Target has been identified as the Company's highest-ranked exploration priority due to the convergence of independent datasets. Surface geochemistry defines a linear, kilometre-scale multi-element (Au-Cu-As) anomaly that tracks the Mithgoondy Shear Zone, while RTP magnetics display a discrete structural discontinuity coincident with sheared mafic and felsic host rocks (Figures 3, 4 and 5*).
The combined structural architecture, geochemical footprint and favourable lithological setting are consistent with signatures typical of shear-hosted orogenic gold systems within the Capricorn Orogen.
Importantly, despite several generations of surface sampling, the target area has not been drill-tested, and the integration of geophysical, geochemical and structural evidence now provides a clear and coherent basis for advancing Flamingo as a priority early-stage drill target.
High-Grade Historical Intersection at RRC15 Provides Immediate Drill Opportunity
GSWA's analysis of gold from historical alluvial workings confirms a hydrothermal origin with minimal transport, indicating a proximal vein-related source rather than detrital or conglomerate-hosted mineralisation. This conclusion aligns with the structural model applied at Beasley Creek and supports the interpretation that mineralisation is associated with the principal shear systems in the area. Within this context, the historical intersection of 4m at 11.4 g/t Au in RRC15 occurs at the contact between the basal Fortescue conglomerate and underlying sheared greenstones, a position consistent with a structurally controlled hydrothermal system (Figure 6*).
The historic structural interpretation indicates that the mineralised zone dips to the north, leaving the original vertical hole sub optimally oriented and the down-dip extension untested. Given the shallow position of the historical intercept and its location on a favourable structural plane, a targeted confirmation hole offers a technically justified, low-cost opportunity to determine continuity and validate a result that has remained untested for more than two decades.
Persistent Pathfinder Anomalism Reinforces Regional Potential
Multiple generations of soil and stream-sediment sampling define a consistent multi-element geochemical signature (Au, Cu, As) aligned with the Mithgoondy structural corridor. These anomalies are present across different datasets, sampling vintages and analytical methods, demonstrating a persistent geochemical response that is spatially coherent with the project's principal structural trends.
The anomalism extends onto the pending tenements (E47/5364 & E47/5366), indicating potential continuity of the mineralised system beyond the currently granted tenure. The presence of these pathfinder elements- supports the interpretation of hydrothermal fluid movement associated with orogenic gold systems and provides reliable geochemical vectors for both immediate drill targeting within the core project area and early-stage reconnaissance across the broader holdings.
2026 Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) Co-Funding Application
Catalina intends to apply for co-funding under the Western Australian Government's Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) to support the initial drilling program at Beasley Creek.
The independent technical review has identified several high-priority structural and geochemical targets that have never been drill-tested with modern methods, including the down-dip continuation of the historical high-grade intercept at RRC15 and the untested Flamingo structural corridor.
These targets represent technically robust, early-stage opportunities where EIS support is well aligned with the program's objective of encouraging drilling in underexplored geological settings. Securing co-funding would enable Catalina to accelerate first-pass and confirmatory drilling activities while applying capital more efficiently across the broader portfolio.
Next Steps
- Complete soil infill and extension sampling across the Flamingo Target and other identified locations along strike to refine drill collar locations and finalise target footprints.
- Undertake early-stage reconnaissance across the pending tenements as soon as they are granted, with results used to refine RC drill planning.
- Prepare and submit a formal EIS co-funding application during the 2026 funding cycle to support the initial drilling program at Beasley Creek.
- Finalise heritage engagement, access planning and operational logistics required in advance of exploration activity.
- Commence drilling activities-including the RRC15 confirmation hole and first-pass drilling along the Flamingo structural corridor.
*To view tables and figures, please visit:
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About Catalina Resources Ltd
Catalina Resources Ltd (ASX:CTN) is a mineral exploration company focused on discovering and advancing gold and multi-commodity projects in tier-one jurisdictions. Backed by a technically experienced team with deep industry knowledge, Catalina is committed to creating value through focused exploration across highly prospective and underexplored regions in Western Australia.
The company's core assets are located in the Central Yilgarn and Laverton regions, two of the most historically productive and geologically endowed gold provinces in the country. Both projects have demonstrated the potential to host significant mineralisation, with early-stage drilling already delivering promising results.
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