A seven-hole air core drilling program has identified a high grade, south-east plunging shoot at the Historic Darlington Mine, 10km north of Stawell in Victoria. All drillholes returned significant grades and five of the holes end in anomalous mineralisation (>1 g/t).
The historic Darlington mine produced 2,347 oz Au at 18.2 g/t Au, and is the southernmost mineralisation in the highly gold-prospective eastern Stawell Corridor, which also hosts the mineralisation at Stawell (4.9Moz Au), Wonga Mine (294koz Au) and Wildwood Inferred Mineral Resource (55koz Au).
The Darlington trend is 700m in length, trending northwest-southeast, and open in both directions. The high-grade shoot lies within this plane, and plunges moderately to the southeast – and is untested and open down-plunge.
Other historic intercepts at Darlington may represent additional, parallel, structurally controlled mineralised structures.
North Stawell Minerals Chief Executive Russell Krause said the the North Stawell Mineral exploration team has worked hard to secure land access to the central Darlington Prospect since the focus on regional programs commenced.
“Best drilling results from a seven hole program has intersected up to 17.5 g/t Au (total intersect 3m at 11.0 g/t Au in NSAC0527) 40m along strike strike and down-plunge of the historic, high grade Darlington Mine (2,137 Oz Au at 18.2 g/t Au production). There is no drilling further down-plunge to the southeast that is deep enough to effectively test the target beyond this new, exciting gold intercept.”
The Darlington Prospect is approximately 700m trend and open north and south, with an interpreted higher grade, plunging shoot at its centre (daylighting near the historic mine). The drilling program has effectively determined the shoot geometry, significantly consolidating understanding of the mineralisation.
“This is another success for NSMs Phase 2 drilling – which is specifically designed to determine mineralisation geometry in preparation for deeper assessment of key targets.”
Mr Krause said five of the seven holes have ended in broad intercepts of anomalous gold, an encouraging indication of more widespread mineralisation.
“Deeper intercepts outside the identified high grade shoot are interpreted as possible parallel structures, and their gold-potential will be part of further drill planning.”
Multiple plunging mineralisation shoots at Darlington fits the NSM exploration models for Stawell-type gold, which includes quartz-hosted gold mineralisation ramping off a basalt butress at depth, and into the metasedimentary rocks.
“Pursuing these targets to depth has potential to trace mineralsation to the deeper, basalt-proximal mineralisation that characterises the impressive mineralsation at Stawell.”
The Wallis 200 air core rig continues to perform well in the ground conditions at North Stawell completing other Phase 2 programs at Lubeck Tip and Challenger, as well as additional Phase 1 reconnaissance programs at Lubeck and Ashens. Results will be released as assays are returned.
