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    Saturn Apollo Hill drilling: pit shell and heap leach implications for planners

    May 22, 2026|

    Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

    Saturn Apollo Hill drilling: pit shell and heap leach implications for planners

    First reported on Australian Mining

    30 Second Briefing

    Saturn Metals has reported further strong reverse circulation results from 35 holes totalling 6820m at its 100 per cent owned Apollo Hill heap leach gold project near Leonora, Western Australia, supporting plans for a mineral resource upgrade. The drilling targets resource development within the existing Apollo Hill system, where previous work has already defined a large, low‑grade gold inventory amenable to heap leach processing. For mine planners and geotechnical teams, the results point to potential for expanded pit shells and leach pad capacity if continuity and grade are confirmed in the forthcoming resource update.

    Technical Brief

    • Recent campaign comprised 35 reverse circulation holes totalling 6820 m of drilling.
    • RC drilling focused on resource development rather than greenfields exploration, implying tighter drill spacing.
    • All work is within the existing Apollo Hill system footprint, simplifying future pit optimisation studies.
    • Heap leach route favours low-cost, low-energy comminution and coarse crush sizing for Apollo Hill ores.
    • Leonora location gives access to established goldfield services, reducing mobilisation and construction lead times.
    • 100 per cent ownership by Saturn Metals streamlines capex approval and mine schedule decision-making.

    Our Take

    The 100 per cent ownership of the Apollo Hill heap leach gold project in Western Australia gives Saturn Metals full leverage to any resource upgrade, which is notable in our database where many Leonora gold assets sit within more complex JV structures.

    Earlier related coverage of Apollo Hill (2025-11-24 and 2026-04-09 items) shows a steady ramp-up in reverse circulation drilling and scoping work, suggesting this 6820m, 35-hole RC phase is part of a deliberate push to define a standalone operation rather than a satellite feed source.

    Within our 1203 Mining stories, Western Australian gold projects like Apollo Hill appear frequently in the Projects/Contract Award set, signalling that contractors and service providers are likely to view Leonora as a stable pipeline for drilling, heap leach, and study work over the medium term.

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    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

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