What did Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) announce regarding its Western Australian projects?

Great Western Exploration has started a 3,000-metre aircore drilling programme at its Diorama copper-gold target in Western Australia. This initial drilling phase is designed to penetrate shallow surface cover and evaluate a large underlying copper anomaly.

Why is the Diorama project considered a high-priority target for Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE)?

The Diorama project is highly prospective because it represents a compelling DeGrussa-style volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) target. It features prominent gossanous rock outcrops and sits roughly 70 kilometres from the well-known DeGrussa deposit.

What is the short-term strategy for Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) after finishing the Diorama drilling?

Once the initial aircore drilling at Diorama is complete, the company will immediately transition the drilling rig to a reverse circulation (RC) programme. This next phase will target seven nearby copper-gold prospects.

Which specific prospects are included in Great Western Exploration's (ASX:GTE) regional drilling blitz?

The campaign targets seven individual prospects following the Diorama phase. This includes six distinct targets at the adjacent Juggernaut Project: Seymour, Falconer, Howard, Palmer, Smith, and Archer. The drill rig will then move to evaluate the Baroo copper-gold target to wrap up the immediate regional push.

How risky is Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) as an investment following this news?

As a micro-cap explorer with a share price of $0.014 at the time of reporting, the stock remains highly speculative. While the multi-target drilling campaign provides multiple chances of discovery, early-stage exploration carries a high risk of hitting sub-economic mineralisation. Investors should treat this as a high-risk, high-reward play.

What does this massive drilling campaign mean for the Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) investment thesis?

This news transitions Great Western Exploration from an early-stage project pipeline holder to an active, asset-testing explorer. The multi-target approach across the Yerrida Basin increases the probability of a discovery catalyst compared to single-project campaigns. However, the long-term thesis still hinges entirely on the upcoming assay results.

Image for illustrative purposes only. Not a real photo.

Great Western Exploration begins drilling WA copper-gold target

Written by Mahathir BayenaPublished Jun. 3 2026Last Updated Jun. 3 2026

Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) commenced an exploration campaign, spearheaded by a 3,000-metre aircore drilling programme at its highly prospective Diorama copper-gold target in Western Australia.

The Diorama Project is defined by a large copper anomaly and represents a compelling DeGrussa-style volcanogenic massive sulphide target.

Located within the Yerrida North Project, approximately 70km from the renowned DeGrussa deposit, the site features prominent gossanous rock outcrops and shallow cover that may obscure significant mineralisation beneath the surface.

The initial drilling phase aims to penetrate the shallow cover to evaluate the underlying copper anomaly.

According to company reports, this work marks the beginning of a broader, fully permitted regional push.

Upon completion of the Diorama air core programme, the rig will immediately transition to reverse circulation drilling at seven individual copper-gold targets nearby.

This includes six distinct targets situated at the adjacent Juggernaut Project—comprising Seymour, Falconer, Howard, Palmer, Smith, and Archer—followed by the Baroo copper-gold target.

Great Western is advancing regional exploration across the Yerrida Basin to bring additional targets to drill-ready status.

At the time of reporting, Great Western Exploration’s share price was $0.014.