North Stawell Minerals Targets High-Grade Gold Extensions at Darlington
North Stawell Minerals is set to begin diamond drilling in late September to follow up a standout high-grade gold intercept at its Darlington Prospect in Victoria. The program aims to explore extensions of a quartz-sulphide vein with visible gold, potentially unlocking a significant new gold system.
- Diamond drilling scheduled for late September 2025 at Darlington Prospect
- Previous drill hole intersected 2.3m at 29.2 g/t gold including 0.8m at 82.3 g/t
- Darlington lies within a highly prospective structural corridor north of Stawell Gold Mine
- Historic mining at Darlington produced 2,347 oz gold at 18.2 g/t
- Drilling targets a brecciated quartz-sulphide vein open in all directions
Exploration Momentum Builds at Darlington
North Stawell Minerals (ASX, NSM) is gearing up for a diamond drilling campaign in the second half of September 2025 to investigate a promising high-grade gold intercept at its Darlington Prospect in Western Victoria. This follows a previous drill hole, NSD057, which returned an impressive 2.3 metres grading 29.2 grams per tonne gold, including a narrower 0.8 metre section at an extraordinary 82.3 grams per tonne. The presence of visible gold within a brecciated quartz-sulphide vein has sparked renewed interest in this under-explored target.
Strategic Location in a Proven Gold Corridor
Darlington sits within the North Stawell Project, a 504 square kilometre contiguous landholding that covers a highly prospective structural corridor immediately north of the historic Stawell Gold Mine. Stawell itself has produced over five million ounces of gold, making the corridor a prime hunting ground for new discoveries. The Darlington Prospect shares geological and mineralisation characteristics with the historic Mariners Mines at Stawell, known for their high-grade gold production in the 19th century.
Historic Production and Geological Analogues
Historic mining records indicate that the Darlington Mine, located just 200 metres north of the current target, produced 2,347 ounces of gold at an average grade of 18.2 grams per tonne. This supports the interpretation that Darlington could host a significant high-grade gold system. The mineralisation style at Darlington is interpreted as Mariners-type, involving structurally controlled splays of mineralisation in sedimentary rocks above a deeper basalt unit, similar to the well-documented gold systems at Stawell.
Upcoming Drilling and Exploration Outlook
The planned drilling program will comprise 600 to 900 metres of diamond drilling focused on extensions of the brecciated quartz-sulphide vein intersected in NSD057. This target remains open in all directions, offering substantial upside potential. Results from this drilling campaign are expected in late October or early November 2025, which will be closely watched by investors and analysts eager to assess the scale and continuity of the mineralisation.
Broader Implications for North Stawell Minerals
Beyond Darlington, North Stawell Minerals is exploring a broader corridor that includes the Caledonia Prospect and other basalt-hosted targets extending over 5.5 kilometres on its tenements. The company’s approach leverages historic mining data and modern geophysical techniques to uncover concealed gold deposits beneath sedimentary cover, a strategy that could unlock substantial value if successful. The upcoming drilling results will be a critical milestone in validating this exploration model.
Bottom Line?
The Darlington drilling program could redefine North Stawell Minerals’ position in Victoria’s gold landscape, with results poised to shape the company’s next exploration phase.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the upcoming drilling confirm extensions of the high-grade gold vein at Darlington?
- How might the Darlington results influence exploration strategies across the broader Stawell Mineralised Corridor?
- What are the implications for resource definition and potential development timelines if high-grade continuity is established?
