Port Moresby – Australian gold miner St Barbara is reporting encouraging results from its recent drilling efforts at its Simberi operations in Papua New Guinea, where the company has found more gold mineralization and sulphide-rich rock directly beneath existing open-pit mines.
The new discoveries come from a large-scale drilling programme aimed at extending the life of Simberi by identifying deeper sources of gold beneath areas already being mined.
One of the most promising results came from the Samat deposit, where gold was found just below the current open-pit reserve. While the area had been only lightly drilled in the past, new holes revealed high-grade gold in sulphide rock—a denser material that requires different processing but can contain significant value.
Over the past year, St Barbara drilled more than 10,000 metres across 61 holes, targeting both known gold zones and unexplored areas. The latest campaign also included the first-ever diamond drilling at Samat, with results showing strong potential for expanding future mining below the existing pits.
Another key site, the Sorowar–Pigiput Trend, also delivered solid gold intercepts, including high-grade samples that reaffirm the area’s long-term value.
“The identification of additional sulphide mineralisation extending or located immediately below the current sulphide open pit Ore Reserve at Samat and Sorowar – Pigiput Trend is very positive news,” St Barbara Managing Director and CEO Andrew Strelein said in a statement.
Strelein said the company is looking forward to the results of the remaining 10 Samat drill holes to better understand the potential to define additional high-grade sulphide resources where historic diamond drilling is relatively sparse.
Most of the remaining assay results are expected during the September quarter.
“During the September quarter we anticipate the return of assay results for most of the remaining 20 resource definition, exploration and sterilisation holes drilled to date at Samat, Pigicow-Botlu, Pigibo North, PigiboBotlu and Pigiput Northeast Trend.”
St Barbara’s Simberi mine is located in New Ireland Province and forms part of the company’s broader presence in the Pacific, where it continues to explore and develop resources responsibly in partnership with local communities.
In a related development, St Barbara is edging closer to securing the future of its operations in Simberi, as its application for the early renewal of Mining Lease 136 (ML 136) moves into its final stages of review.
The company confirmed that the Mining Advisory Committee (MAC) convened a special meeting on Sunday, 6 July 2025, to assess the early renewal application, after an earlier meeting was rescheduled from late June. Following that session, the MAC sent a formal letter requesting clarifications on several items. St Barbara responded to the queries on 15 July—one day after receiving the letter.
The recommendation from the MAC is the final procedural step before a decision is made by Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Mining Rainbo Paita. However, the company noted that the Minister is travelling overseas until the end of July, with formal approval expected at the earliest in August 2025.
If approved, the renewed lease would extend the company’s tenure at Simberi through to 2038, aligning with the mine’s projected life under the Simberi Expansion Project, which is based on Proven and Probable Ore Reserves.
“The renewal of the Simberi Mining Lease is a key step towards unlocking the Sulphide Ore Reserves at Simberi and expanding gold production to over 200,000 ounces per annum,” In a Strelein said.
St Barbara has operated the Simberi mine since 2008. The lease renewal, once approved, is expected to pave the way for deeper sulphide mining and future investment in processing infrastructure to support increased output.
