Ann: Major New 85,000m Drilling Program Commences, page-8

….. “Spartan Executive Chair, Simon Lawson, said: "After wrapping up 2024 with a landmark resource upgrade and $220 million capital raising, Spartan enters the New Year with significant momentum and activity levels quickly moving up a gear.
After a well-deserved break, the exploration team has hit the ground running with surface drilling already underway and our recently appointed underground drilling contractor, AUD, on track to start underground drilling operations next month.

"With at least 85,000m of drilling budgeted - 65,000m of underground drilling and 20,000m of surface drilling through to mid-year - we expect to continue our exceptional track record of delivering further growth in our high-grade resource inventory. Our focus will initially be on drilling out the exciting new Freak discovery and extending and upgrading both Never Never and Pepper. The underground drilling positions will also allow us to spend more time drilling out West Winds and Four Pillars and targeting other exciting new opportunities.

"Assay results returned from drilling completed right towards the end of 2024 have continued to demonstrate the significant growth potential of all these positions. This includes a strong intercept sitting 100m above Pepper, a significant extensional result at Four Pillars and a high-grade intercept sitting ~300m down-dip of the Freak discovery.

"Our next project-wide MRE update is scheduled for mid-year, with the delivery of the Feasibility Study on the restart of the Dalgaranga Operation expected to follow shortly afterwards. That Feasibility Study will be based on the updated 2.868Moz project-wide Mineral Resource Estimate delivered in December last year. In the meantime, we are continuing to make exceptional progress operationally, with the development of the initial part of the Juniper Decline now sufficiently complete to allow the start of underground drilling, and more than 1,230m of underground development completed overall. At the current rate of progress, we expect the exploration drive scope of the Juniper Decline to be within 100m of the Never Never deposit before the end of June, which will be another huge milestone for the team!

"With the gold price continuing to hit new records, the backdrop has never been better for Spartan to capitalise on the enormous opportunities in front of us and turn Dalgaranga into one of the most exciting new high-grade gold operations in Australia, if not the world! Spartan shareholders can look forward to another year of energy, excitement and value-creation across the business."”….