Can Stavely’s Low-Cost Heap Leach Strategy Unlock Fairview’s Gold Value?

Exploration Breakthrough at Fairview North

Stavely Minerals Limited has announced compelling new results from its recent reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the Fairview North gold prospect, part of its 100%-owned Stavely Copper-Gold Project in western Victoria. The drilling intersected multiple wide zones of shallow gold mineralisation, highlighted by a standout 59 metres at 1.31 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from surface in hole SFRC006, including higher-grade internal intervals such as 3 metres at 10.81 g/t gold.

These results build on earlier successes at Fairview South, with both prospects now understood to be part of an extensive mineralised structure exceeding 10 kilometres in length. The shallow nature of the mineralisation is particularly encouraging, as it suggests potential for lower-cost extraction methods.

Heap Leach Amenability Enhances Economic Potential

Crucially, metallurgical testwork conducted in 2017 on composite samples from Fairview North indicates that over 80% of the gold can be recovered through low-cost heap leaching. This method is less capital intensive than traditional milling and tank leaching, making it economically attractive for moderate-grade, near-surface deposits. Individual bottle-roll leach tests showed gold recoveries ranging from 72.6% to 98.4%, while column leach tests achieved recoveries between 81.9% and 95.8%.

Additional gravity recovery tests suggest that coarse gold particles can be effectively recovered prior to leaching, further improving overall gold recovery rates. These findings support Stavely’s strategy to focus on heap leach amenability as a key factor in project development.

Structural Insights and Future Drilling Plans

The recent drilling program was designed to confirm the orientation and dip of the gold mineralisation, particularly at the northern-most structural flexure known as 'A'. Stavely has successfully resolved the structural geometries, identifying the mineralisation as tension gash openings within a sinistral strike-slip stress regime. With this understanding, the company plans to extend drilling to additional flexures 'B' and 'C' further south, aiming to delineate the full extent of the mineralised corridor.

Stavely’s Managing Director, Chris Cairns, emphasised the significance of these results, noting the consistency of gold grades and the potential for low-cost extraction. He also highlighted the need to expand reconnaissance air-core drilling beyond the current zones to explore the broader gold system.

Historical Context and Quality Assurance

The Fairview prospects have a history of high-quality exploration, with previous operators like Beaconsfield Gold Mines and BCD Metals reporting significant gold intercepts. Stavely’s recent drilling complements this legacy, confirming the presence of broad, shallow gold mineralisation with promising grades.

All sampling and assay procedures adhere to rigorous industry standards, with quality control measures including certified reference materials and blanks. Collar locations were accurately surveyed, and laboratory assays were conducted using fire assay and multi-element ICP-MS techniques to ensure reliable results.

Outlook for Stavely’s Gold Exploration

With the confirmation of extensive, shallow gold mineralisation and strong metallurgical recoveries, Stavely Minerals is well positioned to advance its gold exploration efforts at Fairview. The company’s upcoming drilling campaigns at multiple structural flexures, combined with further metallurgical testing, will be critical to defining a robust resource and assessing economic viability.

As Stavely accelerates its field programs, the evolving understanding of the structural controls and mineralisation continuity will be key to unlocking the full potential of this emerging gold district in Victoria.