Auris Minerals Limited (ASX: AUR), an Australian gold and base metals exploration company focused on the Bryah Basin in Western Australia, has reported new rock chip sampling results from its Morck Well Project. The company revealed on November 14, 2025, that a total of 34 surface rock chip samples were collected from two target areas, namely the Jacques and Frenchy’s South gold prospects, during a recent field program. Results from the Jacques prospect include a peak assay of 0.88 grams per tonne of gold, reinforcing the nuggety and variable nature of gold mineralisation associated with quartz veining in the area.
Located approximately 130 kilometres north of Meekatharra, the Morck Well Project is part of a broader exploration footprint held by Auris Minerals Limited within the Bryah Basin. The company controls a total of 245 square kilometres across the Forrest, Doolgunna, and Morck Well project areas. The Jacques and Frenchy’s South prospects are situated within tenements where Auris Minerals Limited holds an 80 percent interest, with CuFe Ltd (ASX: CUF) holding the remaining 20 percent under a free-carried arrangement through to a decision to mine.
The recently completed sampling campaign focused on refining the geological understanding of the strike and dip extents of mineralisation previously identified in the Jacques area, as well as testing potential extensions at Frenchy’s South. The new data will be used to support ongoing interpretations and guide future drill targeting, should Auris Minerals Limited determine that additional exploration is warranted.
What do the latest rock chip results from Jacques prospect reveal about gold potential?
At the Jacques prospect, Auris Minerals Limited collected 19 rock chip samples targeting quartz vein structures that had previously yielded high-grade gold results in both historical drilling and surface sampling. The most notable sample from the recent campaign, labelled RNI028490, returned 0.88 grams per tonne of gold. Other samples showed values of 0.30 grams per tonne and 0.17 grams per tonne of gold, indicating continued mineralisation continuity across the strike length.
According to the company, the gold-bearing quartz vein system at Jacques is interpreted to extend for at least 370 metres along strike, with a dip extent of approximately 100 metres. This supports previous geological interpretations that describe the mineralisation as nuggety and patchy in nature. Such characteristics are typical of orogenic gold systems found throughout Western Australia and often require tighter drilling spacing to delineate economic continuity.
Although the grades observed in this campaign are not exceptional by standalone standards, they do serve to validate the mineralised footprint and highlight potential for more robust intersections at depth or along untested extensions. Auris Minerals Limited noted that all rock chip sample locations were systematically mapped and surveyed, and the results will be integrated into the existing geological model.
Why did Frenchy’s South underperform and what are the implications for future exploration?
The second focus area of the sampling program, the Frenchy’s South gold prospect, delivered more modest outcomes. Auris Minerals Limited collected 15 rock chip samples from this area, which lies directly adjacent to an excised mining lease known as Frenchy’s. Although earlier drilling campaigns had interpreted a 1.4 kilometre gold anomaly trending to the south and west of the lease boundary, the recent surface sampling returned no assays above the 0.01 grams per tonne gold detection threshold.
Despite the lack of significant gold values, some samples from Frenchy’s South contained anomalous levels of base metals. Lead values were recorded as high as 484 parts per million, while zinc reached up to 86 parts per million. These concentrations, while not economic, may still point to a larger hydrothermal alteration system that could merit a different exploration approach.
Auris Minerals Limited indicated that although the recent results from Frenchy’s South were not material from a discovery standpoint, they will be incorporated into a broader review of historical data. This may lead to further reinterpretation of structural trends, particularly if gold distribution is being influenced by lithological contacts or secondary structures not adequately resolved by surface data alone.
What historical and structural context underpins Auris Minerals Limited’s position in the Bryah Basin?
The Bryah Basin has been a focus for multiple exploration companies since the 1990s, originally for gold and more recently for base metals. Auris Minerals Limited’s current landholding strategy consolidates assets that have seen previous work by entities such as Sandfire Resources, Homestake Australia, Cyprus Gold, and Dominion Mining. Of particular note is the regional significance of the DeGrussa copper-gold discovery by Sandfire Resources in 2009, which redirected attention to volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) systems in addition to gold.
At Morck Well, Auris Minerals Limited has undertaken extensive geological mapping, soil sampling, and drilling over the years. Its current exploration activities are informed by both the orogenic gold potential associated with quartz veining and the broader VMS-style mineralisation signatures typical of the region. The Morck Well Project tenements E51/1033 and E52/1672 are held in joint venture with CuFe Ltd, whose interest remains free-carried through to mine decision. This structure allows Auris Minerals Limited to progress fieldwork without immediate dilution, while retaining a larger share of any future development value.
The company also collaborates with Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) in other Bryah Basin tenements, where gold rights and infrastructure access arrangements add additional optionality to exploration and project advancement. These structural alliances may provide a future pathway for development or monetisation if a resource of sufficient scale is identified.
How was the sampling program conducted and what analytical techniques were used?
The September 2025 field program was conducted by Auris Minerals Limited’s in-house geological team using standardised protocols to ensure sample consistency and quality. All rock chip samples were collected from surface exposures and were designed to cover no more than two metres of strike per sample. This narrow sampling window was intended to minimise grade smearing and provide accurate geochemical signatures.
Gold assays were completed by ALS Laboratories in Perth using the fire assay Au-AA26 method with a detection limit of 0.01 grams per tonne. Additional multi-element data was acquired using a portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) device, targeting copper, lead, zinc, manganese, and arsenic. Detection limits for pXRF measurements were 5 parts per million for most metals and 35 parts per million for manganese.
Quality control protocols included the insertion of certified reference materials from OREAS, quartz sand blanks, and duplicate samples at a frequency of one per 20 samples. All analytical results were validated by Auris Minerals Limited’s database management team prior to interpretation.
What is the forward-looking plan for exploration at Morck Well?
While the immediate assay results from Jacques provide a modest yet encouraging snapshot of near-surface mineralisation, Auris Minerals Limited emphasised that a more thorough review is now underway. This will include integration of the new results with historical drilling and geophysical data to assess the viability of a focused follow-up program.
Given the narrow but persistent gold grades at Jacques and the known structural complexity of the Bryah Basin, any follow-up is likely to involve targeted reverse circulation drilling aimed at validating continuity at depth. Whether Frenchy’s South will be prioritised for further investment remains unclear, though the company has left the door open for reinterpretation based on broader datasets.
The next steps will depend on technical outcomes and potentially on the strategic posture of CuFe Ltd as joint venture partner. While no immediate exploration commitments were announced, Auris Minerals Limited’s track record in the basin and control over a significant land package suggest that further activity is probable, particularly if market conditions or peer discoveries renew interest in the region.
What are the key takeaways from Auris Minerals Limited’s latest Morck Well sampling update?
- Auris Minerals Limited (ASX: AUR) reported a maximum gold assay of 0.88g/t from rock chip sampling at the Jacques prospect within its Morck Well Project in Western Australia.
- A total of 34 surface rock chip samples were collected during September 2025 from two areas: 19 at Jacques and 15 at Frenchy’s South.
- Results from Jacques confirm nuggety and variable gold mineralisation within quartz veins, with multiple samples above 0.1g/t Au supporting historical interpretations.
- Frenchy’s South yielded no significant gold results, despite earlier drilling indicating a 1.4-kilometre gold anomaly; base metal anomalies were present but not at economic levels.
- The Morck Well Project is located in the Bryah Basin, approximately 130km north of Meekatharra, and held in joint venture with CuFe Ltd, which maintains a 20 percent free-carried interest.
- Auris Minerals Limited plans to review the new sampling data alongside historical results to determine whether further exploration, including drilling, is warranted.
- Gold assays were conducted via fire assay at ALS Laboratories in Perth, while pXRF analysis provided multi-element data for base metals and pathfinder elements.
- The Jacques prospect has a defined strike length of 370 metres and a dip extent of around 100 metres, indicating potential for follow-up drilling to test depth continuity.
- Auris Minerals Limited’s broader Bryah Basin exploration strategy includes tenement collaborations with CuFe Ltd and Westgold Resources Ltd, offering strategic development optionality.
- A decision on next-phase exploration is expected following internal technical review, with investor focus likely to remain on drill validation of Jacques’ shallow mineralisation.
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