Guardian Metal discovered the tungsten-rich Tremor Zone at Pilot Mountain, confirming significant exploration potential and strengthening U.S. tungsten supply prospects.
Guardian Metal Resources plc has announced the discovery of the Tremor Zone, a newly identified tungsten-bearing skarn mineralization area within its wholly owned Pilot Mountain Tungsten Project in Nevada, USA. The discovery represents a significant exploration success and reinforces the project's potential to become an important domestic source of tungsten, a metal considered critical to U.S. national security and defense industries.
The Tremor Zone was identified through the company’s internal analysis of geological and geophysical data, which highlighted the area as one of several priority exploration targets at Pilot Mountain. Interestingly, the location was initially being assessed as a possible site for mine infrastructure under the ongoing Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS). As part of the evaluation process, condemnation drilling was carried out to ensure the area did not contain economically significant mineralization before any infrastructure was installed. However, the first drill hole unexpectedly intersected multiple intervals of tungsten-rich skarn mineralization, leading to the discovery of the new zone.
The initial reverse circulation drill hole, designated PMR26-077, returned several mineralized intersections. Among the most notable results was an interval of 13.68 metres grading 0.31% WO3 between depths of 102.11 metres and 115.82 metres. Additional mineralized sections included 3.04 metres grading 0.24% WO3, 4.56 metres grading 0.16% WO3, 1.52 metres grading 0.24% WO3, and another 4.56 metres grading 0.24% WO3. The Tremor Zone is considered a blind discovery because it is concealed beneath alluvial cover and does not outcrop at the surface, making it difficult to detect through traditional surface exploration methods.
Following the encouraging results from the initial drill hole, Guardian Metal immediately expanded exploration efforts by deploying an additional drilling rig to evaluate the extent of the mineralization. Subsequent drill holes, including PMR26-078, PMR26-079, PM26-088, PM26-096, and PM26-097, all intersected visually identified tungsten-bearing skarn mineralization. These intersections ranged from approximately 12 metres to 66 metres in width, providing further evidence that the newly discovered zone may host a substantial mineralized system.
Exploration work completed so far has outlined the Tremor Zone across roughly 400 metres of strike length. Drilling continues using two diamond core rigs focused on both infill and step-out programs. The mineralized zone remains open in several directions, suggesting there is potential for further expansion as exploration progresses.
Although the Tremor Zone is still in the early stages of evaluation and will not be included in the upcoming PFS, the company has retained flexibility within its development plans to potentially incorporate the discovery into future project studies. Notably, the zone is located within a completely royalty-free portion of the Pilot Mountain property, which could enhance future project economics.
Guardian Metal believes the discovery highlights the significant untapped exploration potential at Pilot Mountain. Several known skarn targets, including Garnet, Good Hope, and Gunmetal, remain only partially tested, while additional blind targets identified by the company’s exploration team have yet to be drilled. CEO Oliver Friesen described the discovery as a major milestone that validates the company’s view that Pilot Mountain remains underexplored and capable of delivering further high-value tungsten discoveries while supporting the development of a secure domestic U.S. tungsten supply chain.
