Benz Announces Acceleration of Glenburgh Growth Story: >250,000m Drilling Planned in 2026
Benz Announces Acceleration of Glenburgh
Growth Story: >250,000m Drilling Planned in
2026
HIGHLIGHTS:
Funded to accelerate Glenburgh exploration through 2026
A$94 million pro forma cash following the recent A$75 million bought
deal
2025 geological work has transformed Glenburgh into a coherent district-scale system
The granted Mining Lease is now resolved into three major gold camps, each large
enough to be a substantial gold project in its own right
2026 drilling to be executed across all three camps:
Hurricane Camp
(Hurricane, Zone 102,
Zone 126
, NE3): high-grade growth drilling and
targeting the next Zone 126-style discovery
Icon Camp
(
Icon
, Tuxedo, Apollo, Mustang, Shelby): systematic testing of the >3km Icon
trend to approximately 300-500m, supporting bulk-tonnage scale open-pit potential
Thunderbolt Camp
(Torino, Thunderbolt): new exciting growth front for Benz - first-pass
drilling planned to approximately ~500m, following limited historical drilling to <100m
Thunderbolt introduced as a third camp-scale opportunity on the Mining Lease
Interpreted to be
geologically analogous
to the Icon and Hurricane camps. Enormous
growth opportunity for the project.
Historically underexplored due to
shallow transported cover
, which has muted surface
geochemical expression
Regional exploration strategy and activities planned for 2026 - regional soils and
extended gravity surveys over parts of the 80km district trend
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 16, 2026) -
Benz Mining Corp
(TSXV: BZ)
(ASX: BNZ)
("
Benz
" or the "
Company
") is pleased to report on exploration activities and planned work
at the Glenburgh Gold Project, Western Australia.
Figure 1. Glenburgh Gold Camps
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
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Benz CEO, Mark Lynch-Staunton, commented:
"Glenburgh has reached a genuine inflection point.
"Over the past 12 months, Benz has done the hard technical work required in high-grade metamorphic
terrain - integrating drilling, mapping and structural interpretation - to move Glenburgh from a set of
historical prospects into a coherent geological system that can now be targeted systematically.
"The standout outcome is Thunderbolt - a new camp-scale opportunity on the Mining Lease that has
been largely overlooked historically due to shallow transported cover and limited drilling. We believe it
sits within the same geological architecture as the outcropping camps, and we are genuinely excited
by the scale of the opportunity it represents as a new growth front for the project.
"With A$94 million pro forma cash, Benz is funded to move fast, with >250,000 metres of drilling
planned in 2026 across exploration and resource definition. This program will accelerate drilling
across the Mining Lease, expand regional target generation across the broader district trend, and
progress scoping-level work in parallel. Glenburgh has an advanced permitting position and extensive
historical feasibility-level studies, giving us a strong foundation to build on as the resource grows."
Glenburgh Gold District - A New Chapter
Surface mapping completed by Benz geologists in 2025 resolved the project-scale geology at
Glenburgh into a series of formations or packages of comparable metamorphosed lithologies. The
Piston Formation (Fig 2)
has been the focus of Benz exploration efforts to date: Biotite-rich gneissic
rock derived from metasediments; amphibolite after mafic rocks (gabbro/dolerite/basalt); and
metamorphosed chert and magnetite layers (Gasket Member).
Geological analysis has taken the structural understanding of Glenburgh to a point where individual
prospect names are now becoming redundant. Within the corridor of known mineralisation, three distinct
major camps emerge defined by large-scale fold geometries in the gneissic rock:
Hurricane Camp:
comprising Hurricane, Zone 102, the high-grade
Zone 126
, Northeast 3, and
emerging exploration targets.
Icon Camp:
comprising the bulk moderate grade
Icon
and Tuxedo, and exploration targets at Apollo,
Mustang, and Shelby.
Thunderbolt Camp:
comprising the Thunderbolt and Torino prospects, as yet untested by Benz Mining
Corp drilling.
Figure 2. Benz Mining Corp geology and structural interpretation overlaid with 0.5 g/t Au
interpolated drillhole assay model projected to surface. Mining lease in red.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
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Figure 3. NE-SW oriented long section through the Glenburgh project showing distribution of
drillholes and assays; and the emergence of three defined camps with almost contiguous
mineralisation. Thunderbolt camp has yet to be tested by Benz Mining Corp drilling.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/284112_95e2dd97a4c1a973_005full.jpg
2026 DRILLING STRATEGY: THREE CAMPS, ONE SYSTEM
With the Glenburgh Mining Lease now resolved into three coherent gold camps, Benz's 2026 drilling
strategy will be executed across Hurricane, Icon and Thunderbolt. The Company has
>250,000 metres of
drilling planned in 2026 across exploration and resource definition, targeting both high-grade discovery
potential and the scale potential of Glenburgh's bulk-style system
Hurricane Camp - High-Grade Growth
Drilling will continue to step out along the Zone 126 high-grade trend, which remains open at depth and
represents a major growth opportunity for the project. In addition, Benz will aggressively drill test the
Hurricane target and NE3 - along strike from Zone 126 - which display the key geological and structural
hallmarks of a Zone 126-style high-grade setting and represent the Company's best opportunity for the
next high-grade breakthrough within the camp.
Icon Camp - Systematic Scale Testing
At Icon, Benz will undertake
systematic, step-out drilling
across the
>3km Icon trend
, with planned
drill testing to approximately
300-500m
depth. The program is designed to rapidly expand mineralised
continuity along strike and down plunge across the broader
Icon-Tuxedo corridor
, with the objective of
demonstrating the true
scale potential of Glenburgh's bulk-style system
Thunderbolt Camp - A New Growth Front
Thunderbolt represents a major new growth front for Glenburgh. The camp has not yet been drilled by
Benz and has only been historically tested to less than ~100m depth. Importantly, Thunderbolt is
interpreted to share comparable geology and structural controls to the outcropping Icon and Hurricane
camps but lies largely beneath thin Cenozoic cover, which has muted surface geochemical expression
and limited historical target definition.
Benz plans to commence systematic first-pass drilling at Thunderbolt in 2026, with drill testing designed
to match the depths achieved at the other camps (approximately ~500m), providing the first modern
assessment of this underexplored camp-scale opportunity.
District-Scale Upside
Exploration is continuing beyond the three defined camps currently identified within the granted Mining
Lease. Importantly, these camps represent only
~12km
of the Company's broader
~80km district-scale
trend
and are not being treated as the limit to Glenburgh's potential.
Benz is applying the same modern, technically driven approach across the broader Glenburgh district
trend and the wider Gascoyne region. The rapid advancement in geological understanding at Glenburgh
is now guiding regional targeting, with Benz's team actively mapping, sampling and refining new priority
areas across this underexplored belt.
In 2025, Benz completed a regional surface sampling program comprising
>3,000 samples
, which are
currently undergoing
ICP-MS multi-element analysis
. The program was designed as a first-pass
screening tool across a
45km corridor of prospective geology
surrounding the immediate strike
extension of the Glenburgh trend.
This dataset will provide the most comprehensive multi-element surface geochemistry coverage
completed across the district to date, expanding the limited historical multi-element suite to a level where
robust lithogeochemical interpretation and target vectoring are possible. Final results are pending, and
follow-up infill programs will be planned based on outcomes.
Figure 4. Surface samples collected by Benz Mining Corp in 2025. Glenburgh regolith map
shows much of the Thunderbolt camp to be under thin Cenozoic cover.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/284112_95e2dd97a4c1a973_006full.jpg
Benz has also completed a trial 6km ground gravity survey (Fig 5) across the Hurricane and Icon camps,
which has proven successful in resolving density contrasts between denser amphibolite and lighter, more
felsic lithologies. When integrated with existing airborne magnetic data, the gravity dataset is improving
resolution of the large-scale fold geometry interpreted to control the Glenburgh mineral system.
Preliminary interpretation suggests gravity high responses may correlate with key geological units and
areas of known gold mineralisation, and further integrated interpretation is underway incorporating
surface geochemistry, detailed mapping and drilling data. Based on these encouraging results, Benz is
planning a regional-scale ground gravity survey in early 2026.
Figure 5. Ground gravity data (residual) collected in 2025 overlaid with 0.5 g/t Au interpolated
drillhole assay model projected to surface. Detailed ground gravity compliments existing
airborne magnetic data to help resolve large-scale fold geometries at Glenburgh.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/284112_95e2dd97a4c1a973_007full.jpg
Scoping-Level Work Underway - Clear Path from Discovery to Development
Benz has commenced scoping-level work at Glenburgh to evaluate potential development pathways
alongside ongoing aggressive exploration. A diamond rig will be mobilised to site to accelerate
metallurgical, geotechnical and orebody knowledge programs, supporting the next phase of Glenburgh's
advancement. While the Company remains exploration-led and focused on growing the resource,
Glenburgh is uniquely positioned with a granted mining lease and established approvals, providing a
clear and potentially rapid path forward as drilling continues to expand the gold system.
Resource Definition Drilling - Planning Underway
Benz is progressing detailed planning for the next phase of resource definition drilling at Glenburgh.
Insights from recent close-spaced drilling are being analysed to optimise drill spacing for resource
classification and to guide the design of the upcoming infill program.
Close-spaced infill drilling has
already proven to be a powerful discovery tool at Glenburgh
, revealing high-grade gold that was
missed by earlier 40-80m drill spacing. A resource infill program is planned for H2 2026, guided by the
drill-hole optimisation study currently underway, with strong potential to define additional high-grade
ounces and support future resource growth.
Gold in Paleoproterozoic Metamorphic Belts
Early Proterozoic accretion of continents following the breakup of Archean cratons, accounts for some of
the most significant orogenic-style gold-rich provinces globally: Ghana, Mali, and Cote d'Ivoire in West
Africa, Homestake in the United States, and the Tanami region in the Northern Territory. In Western
Australia, despite the discovery of deposits like Tropicana, Plutonic and Paulsen's, the deformed and
metamorphosed belts that rim the edges of Archean cratons remain underexplored.
Glenburgh, is an example of a Paleoproterozoic gold deposit that has been metamorphosed to granulite
facies: folded and changed but not destroyed. The continued growth of the project highlights the
opportunities a modern exploration strategy can deliver in geological terranes that have historically been
overlooked or misunderstood.
Figure 6. Glenburgh Exploration Camp: supporting Benz Mining Corp drilling and exploration
activities across the Gascoyne region.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/284112_95e2dd97a4c1a973_008full.jpg
Glenburgh - A New Frontier Gold District
The 100%-owned Glenburgh Gold Project is rapidly emerging as a new frontier gold district with multi-
million-ounce potential. Located in Western Australia's Gascoyne region, Glenburgh is an 18-20 km
mineralised corridor centred on three known 2-3km long camps: Hurricane, Icon, and Thunderbolt.
Exploration continues for more.
Glenburgh's unique combination of thick, bulk-style gold mineralisation (Icon Camp) and multiple high-
grade underground lenses (Zone 126 at Hurricane Camp) positions it as a rare opportunity in the
Australian gold sector. With gold prices at record levels, the ability to develop both large-scale open pit
and underground operations offers exceptional leverage and growth potential.
Figure 7. Geological overview of the Glenburgh Gold Project.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/284112_95e2dd97a4c1a973_009full.jpg
- END -
This announcement has been approved for release by the Board of Benz Mining Corp.
For more information please contact:
Mark Lynch-Staunton
Chief Executive Officer Benz Mining Corp.
E:
T: +61 8 6143 6702
About Benz Mining Corp.
Benz Mining Corp. (TSXV:BZ, ASX: BNZ) is a pure-play gold exploration company dual-listed on the
TSX Venture Exchange and Australian Securities Exchange. The Company owns the Eastmain Gold
Project in Quebec, and the recently acquired Glenburgh and Mt Egerton Gold Projects in Western
Australia.
Benz's key point of difference lies in its team's deep geological expertise and the use of advanced
geological techniques, particularly in high-metamorphic terrane exploration. The Company aims to
rapidly grow its global resource base and solidify its position as a leading gold explorer across two of
the world's most prolific gold regions.