Access Delays and Drilling Challenges Cloud Stavely’s Junction and S41 Prospects
Stavely Minerals has reported significant progress in its copper and nickel exploration projects, highlighting promising assay results and new structural insights that could unlock major resource expansions.
- Cayley Lode hosts 9.3Mt at 1.23% Cu with gold and silver credits
- Junction Lode drilling reveals high-grade copper-silver mineralisation with new structural model
- S41 Breccia shows potential for large-scale gold-silver-base metal system
- Hawkstone Project targets emerging high-tenor magmatic nickel-copper-cobalt province
- Upcoming drilling and geophysical surveys planned to advance key prospects
Exploration Momentum at Stavely
Stavely Minerals Limited (ASX: SVY) has provided a comprehensive update on its flagship copper and nickel projects in Victoria and Western Australia, underscoring its strategic positioning in the energy metals sector critical to the low-carbon transition. The company’s exploration efforts are centred on the high-grade Cayley Lode copper-gold-silver deposit, the promising Junction Lode copper target, and the emerging S41 breccia-hosted gold system, alongside the Hawkstone magmatic nickel-copper-cobalt project.
At the Cayley Lode, Stavely continues to build on its 9.3 million tonnes resource grading 1.23% copper, with accompanying gold and silver credits. This deposit remains a cornerstone of the company’s portfolio, offering shallow, high-grade mineralisation that is attractive for future development.
Junction Lode: Unlocking Structural Complexity
The Junction Lode has emerged as a compelling discovery opportunity with historic drill intercepts including 35 metres at 3.44% copper and 26 g/t silver. Recent aircore drilling has resolved key structural controls on mineralisation, delivering impressive assay results such as 14 metres at 3.24% copper and 34.5 g/t silver, including higher-grade intervals. This new geological understanding opens the door for targeted diamond drilling, which is currently underway, to test the depth extensions and continuity of the mineralised system.
Access negotiations with landowners are a priority to enable further drilling across the extensive copper-in-soil anomaly that defines the Junction prospect. The company is also exploring a nearby porphyry target that could represent a significant new source of copper mineralisation.
S41 Breccia: A Large-Scale Gold-Silver-Base Metal Target
The S41 breccia-hosted gold prospect represents an intriguing exploration frontier for Stavely. Identified beneath a basalt cover through gravity and magnetic surveys, this large hydrothermal breccia system extends approximately 2 kilometres by 750 metres. Although only one diamond drill hole has been completed to date, it returned encouraging gold and silver mineralisation associated with base metals such as zinc and lead. The company plans an induced polarisation (IP) geophysical survey followed by further drilling to delineate the system’s scale and grade potential.
Hawkstone Project: Targeting High-Tenor Magmatic Nickel Sulphides
In Western Australia, the Hawkstone Ni-Cu-Co project is positioned within an emerging magmatic nickel province adjacent to significant discoveries by IGO and Buxton Resources. Stavely’s recent Falcon Gravity survey has identified a large mafic-ultramafic magma chamber at depth, an ideal host for magmatic nickel sulphide deposits. The company completed a moving-loop electromagnetic (MLEM) survey in 2024, revealing conductors warranting follow-up drilling. Co-funded grants from the WA Exploration Incentive Scheme support upcoming RC and deep diamond drilling programs aimed at testing these targets.
Strategic Outlook and Market Context
Stavely Minerals is advancing exploration in jurisdictions with strong regulatory frameworks and infrastructure, aligning with the global imperative for copper and nickel to support renewable energy, electric vehicles, and decarbonisation technologies. The company highlights the growing supply-demand gap for copper and nickel, underscoring the strategic value of its projects. With a market capitalisation under $10 million and cash reserves near $3 million, Stavely is leveraging modest expenditure to unlock significant resource potential.
Upcoming drilling campaigns and geophysical programs scheduled through 2025 will be critical in validating the scale and grade of these targets. Success at Junction and S41 could materially enhance the company’s resource base, while Hawkstone offers exposure to a high-value nickel province with demonstrated regional fertility.
Bottom Line?
Stavely Minerals stands at a pivotal juncture, with exploration results poised to reshape its resource profile and market narrative in the energy metals sector.
Questions in the middle?
- Will land access be secured promptly to enable comprehensive drilling at Junction?
- Can the S41 breccia system deliver consistent gold-silver mineralisation at scale?
- How will upcoming Hawkstone drilling results influence Stavely’s nickel project valuation?