Desert Minerals (ASX:DSM) commenced its highly anticipated 2026 drilling program at the Scotty Lithium Project, marking a pivotal step toward defining a maiden mineral resource estimate.
Located in Nevada’s premier lithium district, the project sits adjacent to the Bonnie Claire Project, one of North America’s largest known lithium resources.
The proximity, combined with the shallow nature of the Scotty deposits, suggests significant potential for rapid development using conventional, cost-effective mining methods.
The current campaign is designed to test near-surface mineralisation through a strategic combination of infill and step-out drilling.
The technical approach is underpinned by a robust foundation of prior results, soil geochemistry, and magnetotelluric datasets.
The project currently features a JORC (2012) exploration target estimated between 460 and 837 million tonnes, with grades ranging from 1,145 to 1,175 ppm lithium.
Previous drilling has already delivered results, including high-grade intercepts such as 124.97 metres at 1,237 ppm Li.
To ensure operational excellence and permitting compliance, Desert Minerals has partnered with Dahrouge Geological Consulting to lead the 2026 activities.
The company remains in a strong position to execute its objectives, supported by a cash reserve of $4.1 million dedicated to advancing both the Scotty Lithium and Mt Monger projects.
At the time of reporting, Desert Minerals' share price was $0.22.