Auravelle Metals Identifies Multiple Gold Anomalies at Skye in Soil Sampling
Key Takeaways
- Auravelle's first on-ground program at Skye, 530 soil samples, identified multiple kilometre-scale gold anomalies on a north-easterly trend.
- The trend matches regional gold systems including the 1.5Moz Challenger deposit and Marmota's Greenewood and Mainwood discoveries.
- Grades are low, with a 9.2 ppb maximum and 1.1 ppb median, so the case rests on size, continuity and orientation rather than grade.
- Priority drill targets are being refined for 2027, with no firmer drilling dates given.
- Near-term newsflow comes from Nuckulla Hill aircore and Sheoak RC drilling plus Crown soil results, all expected in the coming weeks or sooner.
Kilometre-scale gold anomalies identified at Skye Gold Project
Auravelle Metals (ASX: AUV) has identified multiple new kilometre-scale gold anomalies in first-pass soil sampling at the Skye Gold Project in South Australia. The results were released on 14 October 2026.
The program was the company’s first on-ground exploration at Skye. The anomalies follow a north-easterly trend, consistent with regional gold mineralisation including Marmota Limited’s (ASX: MEU) nearby Greenewood and Mainwood discoveries.
This is early-stage target generation. A soil anomaly is a zone where trace gold at surface is higher than the background, and it points to where explorers might look next. It is not a drilling result, a resource or a discovery.
Andrew Muir, Managing Director
“…The results have strengthened our understanding of the project’s prospectivity and provided a foundation for the next phase of exploration. Integrating these results with historical geochemical data will enable us to refine priority targets and advance Skye towards drilling in 2027.”
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Soil sampling program and results
Program design
The program comprised 530 soil samples collected across several areas within the Skye Project. The design was:
- Analysis using Labwest’s Ultrafine UFF method, a multi-element suite
- A 200m x 200m grid over four discrete areas in the large northern block
- A 400m x 400m grid across each of the two smaller tenement blocks
Areas were selected for interpreted structural settings considered prospective for gold, with limited to no historical geochemical coverage. Auravelle describes the results as showing “encouraging size, continuity and orientation”.
Key statistics
The table below shows the summary statistics for gold in the recent sampling, measured in parts per billion (ppb).
| Statistic | AUV sampling, Au ppb |
|---|---|
| Number of samples | 530 |
| Minimum grade | <0.5 |
| Maximum grade | 9.2 |
| Median | 1.1 |
| Mean | 1.4 |
| Std. Dev. | 1.1 |
| 90% | 2.4 |
| 95% | 3.4 |
| 99% | 5.8 |
These are low-level ppb values, so the story here is not grade. The anomalies are defined by coherent trends and orientation, which is what soil sampling is designed to reveal at this stage.
Regional context
The northeast orientation is a recognised structural trend associated with several regional gold systems, including the nearby 1.5Moz Challenger gold deposit. The anomalies also sit near Marmota’s Golf Bore and Aurora Tank gold systems.
Auravelle says this regional alignment “provides an encouraging basis for further investigation and target generation”. For you as an investor, that means a promising pattern worth following up, nothing more yet.
How soil sampling guides gold exploration
Soil geochemistry measures trace amounts of gold in surface material to point toward possible buried mineralisation. It is generally a cheaper first step than drilling, which is why it is used to decide where drilling is worth the money.
Historical broad-scale calcrete sampling (calcrete is a hard carbonate layer found in some soils) has helped identify gold across the region, including the Tunkillia and Challenger deposits. But calcrete is not always present, so soil sampling is an effective alternative.
Auravelle’s 2025 soil sampling at Nuckulla Hill identified multiple gold anomalies that calcrete sampling had not recognised. At Skye, the new results show gold anomalism in areas that had little to no anomalism in the historical calcrete sampling.
Historical soil sampling at Skye was completed across multiple campaigns but not conducted systematically. That data needs detailed review by campaign before it is integrated with the new results.
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Next steps and upcoming newsflow
The company plans to integrate the new results with historical data to define priority drill targets for 2027. No drilling dates beyond that have been given.
Auravelle listed the following activities as expected to drive near-term newsflow:
- Nuckulla Hill: results from regional aircore drilling
- Crown: results from recent soil sampling, expected in the coming weeks
- Nuckulla Hill: RC drilling at Sheoak to support infill and extensional drilling, expected in the coming weeks
The announcement’s highlights also reference RC drilling at Nuckulla Hill targeting the Sheoak and Bimba prospects.
Skye broadens Auravelle’s gold exploration portfolio beyond its flagship Nuckulla Hill Project and adds to its pipeline of targets. Management says Skye “further strengthens Auravelle’s pipeline of exploration opportunities across South Australia”.
Nuckulla Hill drilling remains the company’s main value driver, with RC programs at Sheoak and Bimba aimed at expanding the high-grade gold system that Skye now complements as an earlier-stage exploration project.
Auravelle is an Australian-based exploration company focused on recent high-grade gold discoveries at Nuckulla Hill in the Gawler Craton in South Australia, and the Crown Project near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.
Ready to Learn More About the Skye Gold Project?
Auravelle Metals has identified multiple kilometre-scale gold anomalies at Skye, trending north-east in line with regional systems such as Marmota’s nearby discoveries. With priority drill targets being refined ahead of 2027, this early-stage project adds to a growing exploration pipeline alongside Nuckulla Hill.
Investors can explore the Auravelle Metals company page for the latest announcements, project updates and upcoming newsflow. It is a useful starting point for understanding how Skye fits into the broader investment story.