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AusQuest extends Coober Pedy Project drilling program
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AusQuest extends Coober Pedy Project drilling program

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  • AusQuest deferred completion of its Coober Pedy drilling programme into the third quarter of 2026 after completing only three of 15 planned reverse circulation holes.
  • The company share price moved marginally following the operational update.
  • Management stated that a new contractor will use mud rotary drilling to bypass thick sand layers and reach target depths.

AusQuest (ASX:AQD) extended its drilling programme at the Coober Pedy Iron-Oxide Copper-Gold Project in South Australia to the third quarter of 2026 after encountering challenging ground conditions.

The initial drilling schedule aimed to complete 15 reverse circulation holes, but loose quartz sand restricted progress to only three finished holes.

"We look forward to receiving the results from the first three holes in the coming weeks and completing the planned drilling programme a little later this year," said AusQuest Managing Director Graeme Drew.

The company stated that a new drilling contractor will employ mud rotary techniques to case off the problematic sand layer before resuming deeper exploration work.

The explorer plans to finish the remaining drilling work later this year to test regional targets defined by magnetic and gravity surveys.

Following the announcement, the AusQuest share price was unchanged at $0.048.

The Coober Pedy Project is operated under a strategic alliance agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of South32 (ASX:S32).

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