North Stawell Minerals Validates Gold Discovery Potential at Darlington

North Stawell Minerals Expands Gold Discovery Potential with Successful Surface Geochemistry

North Stawell Minerals gold discovery potential has received significant validation through encouraging surface geochemistry results from its expanded soil sampling programme at the Darlington Prospect. The announcement highlights 600 metres of new gold anomalism and reinforces the exploration potential across the 3.6-kilometre Darlington-Caledonia trend. Furthermore, the company's systematic approach is paying dividends, with soil geochemistry closely correlating with known geology and gold mineralisation.

Breaking Down the Geochemical Success

The expanded surface sampling programme covered a substantial 700m x 700m area with 312 soil samples collected on 25m x 50m centres. Additionally, this represents a significant scale-up from the initial test lines that demonstrated the effectiveness of NSM's refined geochemical techniques.

Key Geochemical Highlights:

The soil sampling has revealed a previously unrecognised northeast-trending fault structure, which appears to offset the main Darlington mineralised trend. Moreover, this structural interpretation could be crucial for understanding gold distribution and planning future drill targets.

"The soil sample geochemistry highlights the relationship between the historic Darlington Mine and the new mineralised areas identified in holes NSD057 and NSD058. The geochemistry supports additional step-out drill holes from the maiden high-grade gold intercept at Darlington," commented Campbell Olsen, CEO and Executive Director.

Understanding Surface Geochemistry in Gold Exploration

Surface geochemistry involves systematically sampling and analysing soil and rock at surface to detect trace amounts of gold that may indicate deeper mineralisation below. For investors, this technique represents a cost-effective method to map potential ore zones across large areas before committing to expensive drilling programmes.

The process works by identifying chemical signatures that migrate upward from buried gold deposits through groundwater and soil processes. Even small concentrations of gold at surface can indicate significant mineralisation at depth, particularly in areas where weathering has transported metals from their original source.

At Darlington, NSM's geochemical approach is particularly valuable because shallow, high-grade gold was intersected in hole NSD057 immediately beneath the weathering profile. This suggests that surface techniques can effectively detect gold anomalies, providing a roadmap for targeting future drilling with greater precision and success rates.

In addition, the correlation between surface geochemistry and known mineralisation validates North Stawell Minerals gold discovery potential across the broader corridor. These high-grade drill intersections demonstrate the effectiveness of systematic exploration approaches in this proven gold district.

Strategic Context: The Darlington-Caledonia Corridor

NSM's 455 km² contiguous land package incorporates the gold-prospective structural corridor immediately north of Stawell Gold Mines' operation. The Darlington Prospect sits within a highly prospective corridor that extends from the multimillion-ounce Stawell Mine in the south through to the Caledonia Prospect 2 kilometres north.

Notable High-Grade Intersections Along the Corridor:

The corridor's geology mirrors that of the successful Stawell Mine, where basalt units channel and focus gold mineralisation. Darlington is interpreted as "Mariners-type" mineralisation, occurring as mineralised splays above basalt margins.

This geological style historically produced 780,000-950,000 ounces of gold at grades of 28-30 g/t Au at the Mariners Lodes above Stawell. Consequently, this demonstrates the significant gold discovery potential within similar geological settings.

Funded Exploration Programme Moving Forward

NSM is well-positioned financially to capitalise on these encouraging results, having recently raised $500,000 through a placement to professional and sophisticated investors. This funding supports ongoing exploration into the second half of 2026.

Immediate Next Steps:

• Air core drilling programme planned for early 2026 to follow up surface geochemistry
• Caledonia target (2km north) to be sampled in early 2026 with less complex land access
• Diamond drilling programme at Darlington recently completed with assays pending
• Additional surface geochemistry along the broader Darlington-Caledonia trend

The company has completed its current diamond drilling programme at Darlington, with results to be announced as assays are returned and interpreted. However, this systematic approach demonstrates North Stawell Minerals gold discovery potential through methodical exploration across multiple targets.

Investment Thesis: High-Grade Discovery Potential

What Makes This an Attractive Exploration Story?

North Stawell Minerals presents a compelling exploration story centred on proven high-grade gold mineralisation in a world-class geological setting. The Darlington-Caledonia corridor offers the potential for discovering large, near-surface gold deposits analogous to the multimillion-ounce Stawell Mine located directly south of NSM's tenements.

Key Investment Drivers:

The systematic approach combining surface geochemistry, structural interpretation, and targeted drilling is methodically unlocking the corridor's potential. Furthermore, with multiple indicators of high-grade mineralisation and a clear exploration strategy, NSM is building a compelling case for significant gold discovery.

Geological Context: Understanding Stawell-Type Systems

Stawell-type gold deposits form in specific geological environments where basalt units act as structural controls for gold mineralisation. These systems typically develop when gold-bearing fluids are channelled along basalt margins during regional deformation events.

The geological setting at Darlington represents a tectonised accretionary prism—essentially layers of ocean floor sediments that were compressed and folded during ancient plate collision. Elements of basaltic ocean crust became incorporated into these folded layers, creating the structural framework that later focused gold mineralisation.

Mineralisation represents a hydrothermal overprinting event that occurred during the Benambran geological period, coinciding with other major gold-forming events across Victoria. These include those at Ballarat, Bendigo, and Fosterville.

This regional context reinforces North Stawell Minerals gold discovery potential within a proven gold province. In addition, the geological similarities to known world-class deposits provide confidence in the exploration approach.

Why Investors Should Monitor North Stawell Minerals

The convergence of encouraging geochemical results, high-grade drilling intersections, and systematic exploration across a proven gold corridor positions NSM as a standout exploration opportunity. The company's earn-in agreement with Stawell Gold Mines provides access to highly prospective ground in an established mining district.

Recent funding ensures adequate resources to advance key targets through high-impact drilling programmes. With the Caledonia target offering "broadacre" access for efficient exploration and shallow sediment cover preserving near-surface potential, NSM's pipeline extends well beyond Darlington.

Moreover, the company's methodical approach to surface geochemistry is providing cost-effective targeting for future drilling programmes. This demonstrates continued North Stawell Minerals gold discovery potential across the broader district.

Key Tracking Points for Investors

• Assay results from recently completed diamond drilling programme
• Air core drilling results from early 2026 programme
• Caledonia target surface geochemistry and follow-up drilling
• Resource estimation potential as drilling defines continuity
• Strategic developments leveraging proximity to Stawell operations

North Stawell Minerals has systematically built a strong foundation for gold discovery in one of Victoria's premier gold districts. With encouraging geochemistry expanding the target areas, high-grade drill intersections proving mineralisation potential, and adequate funding for aggressive exploration, NSM represents a compelling opportunity for investors seeking exposure to high-impact gold exploration with district-scale upside.

The results demonstrate how systematic surface geochemistry can extend known mineralisation trends and guide future drilling programmes. For NSM, these results validate the exploration approach and reinforce the district-scale potential across the 3.6-kilometre Darlington-Caledonia corridor.

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