North Stawell Minerals (ASX:NSM) has announced the intersection of visible gold at its Darlington Project in Victoria, located within the highly prospective Stawell Gold Corridor. The discovery was made in diamond drill hole NSD057, approximately 200m southeast of the historic Darlington Mine shaft and 120m southeast of a previous drill hole, NSD053, which returned 1.5m at 4.24g/t Au. The visible gold was observed within a siliceous stock-worked fault breccia at a depth of 107.5 – 110m, equivalent to 84m below the surface.
Executive Director Campbell Olsen stated that while visible gold is uncommon in mineralisation around Stawell, the alteration and mineralization show geological similarities to the mine spoils at the historic mine, suggesting a possible link between the two areas. The gold intercept is approximately 70m west of the known Darlington mineralised trend, indicating a potential offset or a new zone. The trend, if parallel to Darlington, remains open for 850m along strike to the south.
NSD057 targeted the intersection of the projected plunge of the Darlington Mine with an interpreted basalt layer at depth, aiming for a structural setting conducive to Stawell-type gold mineralisation. The visible gold was observed outside the planned target area. NSM is currently logging the core, and samples will be sent to the assay laboratory. Full results will be released following the completion of assays and geological interpretation, likely in April 2025.
NSM stresses that visual observations are not a proxy for gold grade, and laboratory analysis is required. The North Stawell Project includes a 600km² land package incorporating the gold-prospective corridor north of Stawell Gold Mines’ operation. NSM focuses on the Wildwood and Darlington targets, both with the potential to be repeats of the multi-million-ounce mineralisation at Stawell.
