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Basin GulchTechnical project site

Philipsburg Mining District, Montana

Last updated: November 2026

Basin Gulch drilling data for exploration partners

Basin Gulch drilling data comes from more than 320 historical drill holes on a gold and silver oxide property in Montana's Philipsburg Mining District. Published highlights include 1.8 g/t Au over 162 meters from surface and 156 g/t Au over 3 meters, and Lannister Mining plans to use this data in a future maiden mineral resource estimate.

Review the drill intercepts
Gold intercepts that start at surfaceHistorical drill highlights, interval length drawn to scale
Surface

  • 1.8 g/t Au162 m / 531.5 ft

  • 0.66 g/t Au326 m / 1,069.6 ft

  • 3.2 g/t Au72 m / 236.2 ft

What does the Basin Gulch drilling data show?

It shows gold starting at surface over long intervals, with high-grade zones inside them. Three of the five published highlight intercepts begin at surface, the longest running 326 meters at 0.66 g/t Au, and the mineralization is open at depth, along strike and untested regionally. About two-thirds of the property has not yet been explored.

Basin Gulch at a glance

Two self-contained summaries of the property: what it is, and the numbers that define it.

Definition

What is the Basin Gulch Property?

The Basin Gulch Property is a gold and silver exploration property in the historic Philipsburg Mining District of western Montana, advanced by Lannister Mining. It targets high-grade, near-surface gold and silver oxide mineralization that has been tested by more than 320 historical drill holes and by surface trenching.

The land package combines a core of patented mining claims with surrounding unpatented claims, and it is primarily on patented land. Access is year-round from Philipsburg on paved and well-maintained gravel roads, about one hour from Butte. The property has not been mined out, and Lannister Mining plans expansion and confirmation drilling ahead of a future maiden mineral resource estimate.

Numbers

Basin Gulch by the numbers

Historical drill holes
320+
Patented claims
11
Unpatented claims
53
Total land package
1,107 ha
Of the property still unexplored
2/3
Drive from Butte, MT
1 hr

The highest published drill grade is 156 g/t Au over 3 meters. The longest published interval is 326 meters at 0.66 g/t Au, from surface.

Basin Gulch drilling data compared with trench data

Drill holes and trenches answer different questions. The table below sets the Basin Gulch drill highlights beside the Basin Gulch trench highlights on the same criteria, using only published figures.

Basin Gulch drill holes compared with Basin Gulch trenches, using the published highlights for each. Published by Lannister Mining.
CriterionBasin Gulch drill holesBasin Gulch trenches
What it samplesMineralization at depth, down the holeMineralization exposed at surface
Published highlights5 intercepts4 trench highlights
Metals in highlightsGold (Au)Gold (Au) and silver (Ag)
Highest gold grade cited156 g/t Au over 3 m62 g/t Au over 159 m
Longest interval cited326 m (1,069.6 ft) at 0.66 g/t Au159 m (521.7 ft) at 62 g/t Au
Highest silver grade citedNot reported in highlights54 g/t Ag over 34 m
Starts at surface3 of 5 highlightsYes, surface exposures by nature

See every figure on the historical drill intercepts page and the Basin Gulch trench results page.

Basin Gulch Montana geology

Basin Gulch sits in the Philipsburg Mining District, the district that led the United States' original silver boom in the late 1800s. Montana itself is known as the Treasure State for its mineral wealth, and gold was first discovered in the Montana territory in 1852 at Gold Creek, near present-day Garrison.

On the property, gold and silver are hosted in oxides near surface. The geology page covers the district setting, what oxide hosting means for field programs, and where to find state and federal geologic maps.

Read about Basin Gulch Montana geology

Basin Gulch mineralization

Basin Gulch mineralization is high-grade, near-surface gold and silver in oxides. It is open at depth, open along strike and untested regionally, which means drilling has not yet found its limits. Trench highlights add silver to the picture, with grades from 23 to 54 g/t Ag across the four published trenches.

Mineralization that begins at surface gives significant implied mine design optimization flexibility, because less waste rock must be moved to reach it.

Explore Basin Gulch mineralization in detail

How the drilling data feeds a maiden resource estimate

The planned sequence for turning historical Basin Gulch drilling data into a formal estimate.

  1. Compile the historical record

    Gather the results of more than 320 historical drill holes and the trench highlights into one dataset.

  2. Confirm historical intercepts

    Drill confirmation holes to test historical drill intercepts so the older data can be relied on.

  3. Expand known mineralization

    Step out at depth and along strike, where the mineralization remains open.

  4. Test new target areas

    Concentrate future drilling on additional mineralized targets within the property, including high priority targets near the historic resource.

  5. Prepare the maiden estimate

    Combine historical drilling and new work programs into a future maiden mineral resource estimate.

Common questions

Short answers to what field geologists and exploration partners ask most often.

What is the Basin Gulch Property?

The Basin Gulch Property is a gold and silver exploration property in Montana's historic Philipsburg Mining District, advanced by Lannister Mining. It covers 11 patented and 53 unpatented claims totaling 1,107 hectares, and more than 320 historical drill holes have tested it. The focus is high-grade, near-surface gold and silver oxide mineralization.

How many drill holes have been completed at Basin Gulch?

More than 320 historical drill holes have been completed on the Basin Gulch Property. They form the historical dataset that Lannister Mining plans to expand and confirm with new drilling, and both the historical holes and new work programs will feed a future maiden mineral resource estimate.

What is the best drill intercept at Basin Gulch?

By gold grade, the highest published historical intercept is 156 g/t Au over 3 meters (9.8 feet). By length from surface, the longest is 0.66 g/t Au over 326 meters (1,069.6 feet). Which matters more depends on whether you are assessing high-grade zones or continuity over long widths.

Do the Basin Gulch drill intercepts start at surface?

Three of the five published highlight intercepts start at surface: 1.8 g/t Au over 162 meters, 0.66 g/t Au over 326 meters, and 3.2 g/t Au over 72 meters. Gold beginning at surface is a key reason the mineralization at Basin Gulch is described as near-surface.

How many claims make up the Basin Gulch Property?

The Basin Gulch Property includes 11 patented and 53 unpatented claims. Together they form a consolidated land package of 1,107 hectares, with a core of patented mining claims surrounded by unpatented mining claims.

Is the mineralization at Basin Gulch open?

Yes. The gold and silver mineralization at Basin Gulch is open at depth, open along strike and untested regionally. Open means drilling has not yet found its limits in those directions, which is why expansion drilling is part of the plan toward a maiden mineral resource estimate.

Is Lannister Mining one of the gold exploration companies in Montana?

Yes. Lannister Mining is a gold and silver exploration company whose project, the Basin Gulch Property, sits in Montana's Philipsburg Mining District. Its work centers on near-surface oxide gold and silver mineralization and on drilling toward a maiden mineral resource estimate for the property.

Who publishes this website?

This website is published by Lannister Mining, the company advancing the Basin Gulch Property. It is a technical project site focused on Basin Gulch geology, drilling history, trench results and exploration potential. Lannister Mining's main website is lannistermining.com.

Read all 45 Basin Gulch questions

Further reading