Pioneer Minerals has awarded a contract to Alaska Midnight Sun Drilling for its inaugural reverse circulation (RC) drilling programme at the Springfield Tungsten, Gold and Gallium Project in Idaho, US.
The selection of the contractor, known for its extensive experience in the US and Canada, marks a notable shift from project development to drill execution.
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The drilling operations are scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2026 (Q3 2026), contingent upon operational approval and site preparation completion.
The programme is set to include up to 2,000m of RC drilling across roughly 35 holes, marking the first modern campaign over the wider Springfield system.
Pioneer has submitted a plan of operations to the US Forest Service for the phase one drilling activities, which aims to evaluate both the historical mine footprint and several high-priority targets.
The exploration will test historical tungsten mineralisation, as well as new structural features identified through light detection and ranging (LiDAR) analysis.
The Springfield site has demonstrated significant mineral potential, with recent rock chip sampling showing considerable gallium levels.
Tungsten assays have reached up to 2.98% tungsten trioxide, while gold assays peaked at 7.75 grams per tonne.
These results indicate distinct tungsten and gold mineralising systems, which have been validated by geochemical analysis.
Other recent developments include strategic initiatives aimed at accelerating project progress.
The initiatives involve evaluating modular processing plant concepts, reopening access roads and preparing applications for US Government funding related to critical minerals.
Pioneer’s forthcoming drill programme also aims to explore historic stockpiles and newly identified geophysical targets.
The maiden drilling campaign is intended to evaluate both the scheelite-rich tungsten skarn system and independent, structurally controlled gold and gallium mineralisation highlighted by recent exploration.
Pioneer Minerals CEO Michael Beven said: “Securing Midnight Sun as drilling contractor represents another important milestone as Pioneer advances Springfield toward its maiden drill programme.
“Over recent months we have significantly enhanced our understanding of the project through geochemistry, geophysics and detailed LiDAR interpretation, and we are now moving toward directly testing these targets.”
