Australian mineral exploration company Resolution Minerals is advancing its tungsten exploration and development efforts at the Horse Heaven Project in Idaho, US, driven by historical data evaluations and recent drilling successes.
The Horse Heaven Project covers around 59km² in Boise National Forest, adjacent to Perpetua Resources’ Stibnite Gold Project.
According to the company, current tungsten prices are at a record high of $900/tonne (t) unit, with expectations of further increases in 2026.
The Horse Heaven Project consists of 699 federal lode mining claims, spanning more than 5,644 hectares, and includes various former antimony, tungsten and gold mines.
This move comes in the wake of productive discussions with a former operator of the Golden Gate Tungsten Mine, underscoring the project's potential in the region's mining landscape.
To lead these efforts, the company has appointed David Hembree, an experienced former mine geologist at the company’s previously producing Golden Gate mine.
Hembree will analyse historical data, conduct fieldwork and oversee a drill programme set for June 2026, as well as perform metallurgical tests on existing stockpiles.
By capitalising on Hembree's 45 years of geological experience in the western US, including roles at Mount Hamilton and French Gulch, Resolution Minerals aims to expedite tungsten resource development at Horse Heaven.
His responsibilities will also include identifying additional tungsten resources at the Golden Gate Target and other emerging sites within the company's wholly owned project.
The Golden Gate Tungsten Mine produced ore intermittently from 1952 until 1980, which was initially processed at the Stibnite Mill and later at the Johnson Creek Mill.
In parallel, Resolution is acquiring the Johnson Creek Mill, which includes processing facilities and approximately 2,000t of tungsten ore stockpiles.
Due diligence on this acquisition is nearing conclusion. The company anticipates further potential to expand mineralisation along the Golden Gate Fault and other targets through ground-based exploration and geophysical methods.
Tungsten exploration at Golden Gate began in the late 1940s, with open-pit mining starting in the early 1950s.
After the closure of the Stibnite Mill in 1952, processing operations shifted to the Johnson Creek Mill.
Between 1979 and 1980, underground mining took place, producing significant quantities of ore that were processed and stockpiled during these years.
In a recent related development, Resolution Minerals announced significant findings from its latest rock sampling programme at the Antimony Ridge Mine, part of the Horse Heaven Project.
The new results indicate extensive high-grade antimony mineralisation, with notable samples, including 732005, which recorded 48.7% antimony and 270 grams per tonne (g/t) silver, and 732008, showing 37.9% antimony and 890g/t silver.
