Stelar Metals Completes Soil Survey, Drilling Imminent at Hill of Leaders
Key Takeaways
- Stelar Metals has completed the first-ever regional soil geochemical survey at Hill of Leaders, collecting 1,350 samples across 50km² of granite terrain, with results expected within weeks.
- Nighttime UV lamping confirmed fluorescent scheelite mineralisation in the porphyritic granite host rock — not only within the historically mined quartz veins — raising the possibility of a granite-hosted, bulk-tonnage tungsten system extending over tens of kilometres.
- A maiden 3,500m RC bedrock drilling program is set to mobilise imminently, marking the first time subsurface geology beneath the high-grade tungsten occurrences will be tested directly.
- Prior rock chip assays at Hill of Leaders returned results up to 15.69% WO₃ from vein material at surface, providing a high-grade foundation against which the granite-hosted signal is being evaluated.
- China's tungsten export controls remain in force and the US Department of War prohibition on Chinese-sourced tungsten takes effect 1 January 2027, creating urgent demand for Western-jurisdiction supply at a time when APT pricing is at historic highs.
Maiden soil survey complete, drilling next week at Hill of Leaders
Stelar Metals Limited (ASX: SLB) has completed what it describes as the first ever regional-scale soil geochemical survey at its Hill of Leaders Tungsten Project in the Northern Territory, with a maiden bedrock drilling program expected to mobilise imminently. The survey covered approximately 50km² of granite terrain, collecting 1,350 soil samples on a 200m x 200m grid targeting the B horizon at a nominal depth of 30cm.
The announcement carries a significant exploration dimension beyond the survey itself. Reconnaissance nighttime UV lamping has detected fluorescent scheelite mineralisation not only within historically mined quartz veins, but also in the surrounding porphyritic granite, raising the prospect of a granite-hosted, bulk-tonnage tungsten system at scale.
The macro backdrop adds urgency to the program. China’s export controls on tungsten remain in force, the US Department of War prohibition on Chinese-sourced tungsten takes effect 1 January 2027, and ammonium paratungstate (APT) pricing is at historic highs.
Stephen Biggins, Executive Chairman
“Completing the first regional soil survey at Hill of Leaders is a key milestone, but the real excitement lies in what our geologists observed during fieldwork. Nighttime UV lamping confirmed fluorescent scheelite mineralisation directly within the host granite, suggesting these high-grade quartz veins may be part of a much larger, granite-hosted tungsten system.” …
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UV lamping reveals scheelite beyond the veins
What is UV lamping and why does it matter?
UV lamping is a standard tungsten exploration technique used in the field at night. Scheelite (calcium tungstate, the principal tungsten ore mineral) fluoresces strongly under short-wave ultraviolet light, allowing geologists to visually identify mineralisation across outcrops and boulders without laboratory testing.
The technique’s value here lies in what it can distinguish. Vein-hosted mineralisation, the kind that has driven Hill of Leaders’ historical production, occurs in narrow, discrete quartz structures. High-grade, certainly, but physically confined. Granite-hosted (or disseminated) mineralisation, by contrast, distributes through a far greater volume of rock, which is the basis for bulk-tonnage deposit types. The Hill of Leaders granite terrain extends over tens of kilometres, meaning the potential scale of a granite-hosted system is substantially larger than the vein system alone.
What the lamps found
UV lamping confirmed fluorescent mineralisation consistent with scheelite in the porphyritic granite adjacent to the historically mined veins, not only within the veins themselves. Two field photographs (Figures 1 and 2 in the source announcement) show UV fluorescent mineral responses in granite boulders and outcrop, with estimated scheelite abundances of less than 1% and approximately 5% respectively.
Important caveat: these are visual estimates from field photography only. As the JORC Table 1 accompanying the announcement explicitly states, visual estimates of mineral abundance should never be considered a proxy or substitute for laboratory analyses where concentrations or grades are the factor of principal economic interest. These figures do not confirm grade.
The established high-grade vein context remains the foundation. Prior rock chip assays from Stelar’s Phase 1 and Phase 2 programs returned results up to 15.69% WO₃ from vein material at surface (SLB ASX announcement, 12 August 2026). The UV lamping results open a potential additional dimension to that system, not a replacement for it.
Results reaching 15.69% WO3 from vein material at surface positioned Hill of Leaders as one of the most compelling early-stage tungsten occurrences on the ASX, and it is that vein-hosted grade context that makes the additional granite-hosted signal from UV lamping particularly worth testing at depth.
Key observations in summary:
- 1,350 soil samples collected; results expected within weeks
- UV lamping confirmed scheelite fluorescence in granite host rock adjacent to historical workings
- Granite terrain at Hill of Leaders extends over tens of kilometres
- The extent of granite mineralisation outside the veins is not yet known and will be tested in upcoming drilling
Maiden drilling program set to begin
The 3,500m RC drilling program at Hill of Leaders will be the first-ever bedrock drilling to test beneath the high-grade tungsten occurrences at the project. The program has been designed following target refinement from geophysics, geological mapping, rock chip sampling, and the UV lamping described above.
RC drilling (Reverse Circulation drilling) uses compressed air to return rock chips to surface, enabling rapid sampling of subsurface geology without the cost of diamond core drilling, and is a standard first-pass method for testing mineralisation at depth.
Rig mobilisation to Hill of Leaders is scheduled to follow completion of the drilling contractor’s current program next week. The company notes that demand for drill rigs across Australia is currently exceptionally strong, driven by activity in the critical minerals and gold sectors, and that rig and crew availability is tight nationally. Against that backdrop, Stelar has confirmed it has secured a rig and contractor.
Soil geochemical results from the 1,350-sample survey are expected after drilling commences and will be used to generate targets for subsequent drilling phases.
The sequence of near-term activity:
- Drill rig mobilisation to Hill of Leaders
- Commencement of maiden 3,500m RC bedrock drilling program
- Soil geochemical results from the 1,350-sample survey (expected within weeks)
- Drill assay results reported as available
- Soil results to inform targets for subsequent drilling phases
| Parameter | Detail | Metric | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey area | Regional soil geochemical survey | ~50km² | Complete |
| Grid spacing | 200m x 200m, B horizon at ~30cm depth | 200m x 200m | Complete |
| Sample count | Soil samples targeting granite terrain | 1,350 samples | Results pending (weeks) |
| Drilling program | Maiden bedrock RC drilling program | 3,500m | Mobilisation imminent |
| Tenure (EL33232) | Exploration licence, Northern Territory | 454.54km² | Expiry 2 February 2029 |
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Tungsten sector tailwinds amplify the exploration case
The timing of Hill of Leaders’ exploration ramp-up coincides with one of the most favourable policy and pricing environments tungsten has seen. China’s export controls on tungsten remain in force. The US Department of War prohibition on Chinese-sourced tungsten takes effect 1 January 2027. APT pricing is at historic highs. Together, these forces are driving urgent demand for Western-jurisdiction tungsten supply.
Hill of Leaders sits in the Northern Territory, Australia, a stable jurisdiction well positioned to meet that demand. For investors watching the project, two near-term catalysts are now in view: soil assay results from the 1,350-sample survey expected within weeks, and maiden drill results from the 3,500m RC program to be reported as they become available.
For investors wanting to understand how Stelar funded this exploration ramp-up, our detailed coverage of the $2.6M capital raise outlines the placement structure and the specific allocation of funds toward the maiden drilling program and associated exploration work.
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