North Stawell Hits 2.3m at 29.2 g/t Au Confirming Depth Extension at Darlington

Exploration Update at Darlington

North Stawell Minerals (ASX, NSM) has released promising results from its recent diamond drilling program at the Darlington Project, located just 6 kilometres north of the historic Stawell goldfield in Victoria. The latest drill holes, NSD059 and NSD060, have intersected gold mineralisation continuing at depth beneath previously reported high-grade zones, confirming the presence of a sub-vertical mineralised lens extending at least 100 metres below earlier visible gold intercepts.

Parallels with Historic Mariners Lode

The style and structural setting of the mineralisation in these holes bear strong similarities to the renowned Mariners Lode at Stawell, a historic high-grade gold system that produced up to 950,000 ounces at grades around 30 grams per tonne. The brecciated quartz-sulphide veins recovered from NSD059 and NSD060, although lower grade than the initial NSD057 intercept, share key geological characteristics such as faulted, silicified veining and association with carbonaceous sediments. This resemblance supports the hypothesis that Darlington could represent a repeat of the Mariners-type mineralisation within the Stawell Corridor.

Open-Ended Potential Along Strike and Depth

The mineralised trend identified at Darlington is open for at least 850 metres along strike to the south and 200 metres to the north, as well as at depth. This open-ended nature provides a compelling exploration target, with the potential to delineate a significant high-grade gold system. North Stawell Minerals is leveraging a combination of drilling, geophysical surveys, and geochemical sampling to better understand the controls on mineralisation and to expand the footprint of the known mineralised zones.

Strategic Position in the Stawell Corridor

The Darlington Project forms part of North Stawell Minerals’ broader portfolio, which covers a contiguous 455 square kilometre area along the highly prospective Stawell Mineralised Corridor. This corridor hosts the multi-million-ounce Stawell Gold Mine and is characterised by basalt domes and associated structural traps that have historically yielded significant gold deposits. The company’s exploration strategy focuses on identifying shallow, large-scale gold deposits beneath a thin sedimentary cover, using the Stawell Mine’s Magdala orebody as a geological model.

Next Steps and Outlook

Following these encouraging drill results, North Stawell Minerals plans to intensify exploration efforts at Darlington, including further diamond drilling to test the extent of the mineralised lens and geophysical surveys such as induced polarization to delineate structural trends. Additionally, results from a recently completed drill hole at Darlington West are awaited, which may provide further insights into the mineralisation style and potential. While these results do not yet contribute to a formal mineral resource estimate, they significantly enhance the understanding of the Stawell Corridor’s gold potential and could attract increased market interest.