North Stawell Unlocks New Gold Target 300m South of Darlington Using Low-Cost IP
North Stawell’s low-cost geophysics unlocks new gold target 300m south of existing Darlington hits
North Stawell Minerals has completed a ~6.5 km, six-line dipole-dipole induced polarisation (DDIP) geophysical survey across its priority Darlington and Forsaken prospects. The survey was designed to test whether electrical geophysics can identify potential mineralised zones hidden beneath shallow sediment cover across the North Stawell Project.
The strongest chargeability response was identified at Darlington West, on the interpreted margin of a basalt body in an area not previously tested by drilling. The anomaly defines a new priority drill target located approximately 300m south of previous gold intercepts, increasing confidence that the prospective system may continue beyond the area tested to date. The North Stawell Project comprises a 445 km² contiguous land package immediately north of the multi-million-ounce Stawell Gold Mine.
The results validate DDIP as a relatively low-cost technique that can “see through” cover across the company’s extensive land position. For explorers, this capital-efficient approach accelerates target generation across large tenement packages, helping prioritise where to allocate drilling expenditure.
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What the Darlington West result means
The highest-amplitude chargeability anomaly of the entire program was recorded at 22.7ms on IP Line 1000 (station 1710). This response correlates to the interpreted margin of the Darlington West basalt in an area untested by drilling. The anomaly position is particularly encouraging, strongly aligning with a high-prospective zone previously identified by CSIRO 3D inversion and numerical modelling.
Key technical observations from Darlington include:
- The new target sits ~300m south of two drillholes that previously returned gold on a basalt margin — an analogue to target Stawell-type (basalt-margin) mineralisation.
- IP Line 2000 also returned chargeability anomalism proximal to existing drill results, potentially indicating elevated sulphide content associated with known gold intercepts.
- The chargeability signature increases confidence the mineralised system may extend beyond the originally drill-confirmed area.
The table below summarises previously reported Darlington West drill intercepts that provide geological context for the new geophysical target.
| Hole ID | Intercept Width | Grade (g/t Au) | From (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSD058 | 0.50m | 6.01 g/t Au | 283.35m |
| NSD061 | 1.20m | 3.32 g/t Au | 177.30m |
Bill Reid, Executive Director
“The chargeability anomaly at Darlington West is highly encouraging with the survey highlighting known Stawell-type (basalt-margin) gold and identifying a second target 300m south. Four lines completed over Forsaken have demonstrated that basement signatures can be identified through 30-50m of unmineralised, conductive, post-mineral cover sequences to reveal coherent anomalies – providing additional information on undrilled targets. The success of the DDIP geophysics reintroduces an under-utilised “large-area, low-cost” technique that can be applied throughout the NSM tenements where cover sequences mask mineralisation and may be particularly useful for Stawell-type (basalt-margin) mineralisation providing NSM with another useful tool to focus exploration effectively.”
The IP survey is particularly encouraging for Stawell-type (basalt-margin) mineralisation. Other similar targets, including Wildwood, will be assessed for application of the technique.
Forsaken confirms the technique works through cover
Forsaken was targeted as a proof-of-concept test: can induced polarisation detect basement structures through conductive post-mineral cover? The answer is yes. Four E-W lines, each approximately 1,300m in length, were completed across the prospect. Repeatable geophysical responses were detected through approximately 30–50m of cover, with anomalies broadly aligning with interpreted bedrock structures and regional magnetics.
Key observations from Forsaken include:
- The estimated depth of investigation (DOI) by the survey is limited to approximately 100m.
- Inverted chargeability amplitudes are generally below 7ms across the survey, indicating a low chargeability environment.
- While imaged chargeability structures generally lie below the estimated DOI, the structures are repeated on adjacent lines, suggesting they are detectable and “real” through the conductive cover.
- The structures in the IP data roughly correlate to the structural interpretation of regional magnetics, possibly identifying gold-prospective basement fault zones.
- The two western lines present potential follow-up drill targets.
The Forsaken results validate the technique’s ability to penetrate cover and identify bedrock signatures in areas where conventional surface exploration methods are challenged. Previously reported assays from Forsaken, including 10.00m @ 1.62 g/t Au from 33.00m (GLA204), 2.00m @ 3.08 g/t Au from 23.00m (GLA172), and 2.00m @ 3.54 g/t Au from 23.00m (GLA184), provide geological context for the interpreted structures.
Why induced polarisation matters for explorers
Induced polarisation (IP) geophysics measures how rock holds an electrical charge when a current is applied, then removed. The technique helps detect disseminated sulphides that can be associated with gold systems, without drilling. For explorers operating in covered terrains, this is particularly valuable.
The challenge at North Stawell is that a thin blanket of unmineralised sediment — often 30–50m thick — masks potential near-surface repeats of the Stawell deposit. Conventional surface geochemistry and mapping struggle to see through this cover layer. DDIP provides a “large-area, low-cost” method to image basement structures and sulphide accumulations beneath the overburden, generating drill targets more efficiently than blind drilling.
From an investment perspective, DDIP de-risks and accelerates target selection across a huge tenement package. NSM can now prioritise where to spend expensive drilling dollars, focusing capital on the highest-probability targets rather than systematic coverage. This is particularly relevant across NSM’s extensive Stawell Corridor, where multiple basalt-margin targets remain untested.
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What comes next
North Stawell has outlined a clear roadmap to capitalise on the DDIP results:
- Follow-up diamond drilling: A diamond drill hole is planned to test the Darlington chargeability anomaly identified on IP Line 1000.
- Further IP surveys: Additional DDIP programs are expected across other areas of deep unmineralised cover within the North Stawell Project.
- Application to other targets: The technique will be assessed for application to similar Stawell-type targets, including Wildwood, along the Stawell Corridor.
The company now has “another useful tool” to focus exploration effectively across its extensive land position. With multiple high-priority basalt-margin targets identified along the Stawell Corridor, the DDIP technique positions NSM to methodically de-risk its 445 km² tenement package north of a proven multi-million-ounce goldfield. These remain conceptual exploration targets — no resources have been defined, and further drilling and work will be required to determine whether economic mineralisation exists at these locations.
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