Wildflower Bloom Delays Chile Drilling but Ned’s Creek Shines
Lodestar Minerals has confirmed significant gold mineralisation extensions at its Ned’s Creek project in Western Australia, while drilling in Chile faces a brief delay due to a rare wildflower bloom.
- 966m RC drilling completed at Ned’s Creek confirms gold continuity
- High-grade intercepts include 16m at 1.94 g/t Au and 28m at 0.63 g/t Au
- Mineralisation extended 330m along strike at Gidgee Flat Prospect
- Chilean Three Saints drilling delayed by rare Desierto Florido wildflower event
- Further exploration planned to test extensions and new targets in Australia and Chile
Exploration Success at Ned’s Creek
Lodestar Minerals Limited (ASX, LSR) has delivered encouraging results from its recent reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the Ned’s Creek gold project in Western Australia. The 966-metre campaign, comprising four holes, targeted the Gidgee Flat Prospect and successfully extended known gold mineralisation by 330 metres along strike from previous drilling.
Notably, hole LNRC0107 returned a standout intercept of 16 metres grading 1.94 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, including a higher-grade 4-metre section at 6.75 g/t. Other significant intercepts include 28 metres at 0.63 g/t and 16 metres at 1.05 g/t, confirming the continuity and robustness of the mineralised system beneath cover.
Geological Insights and Structural Controls
The mineralisation is hosted within a northwest-dipping thrust fault structure adjacent to an Archaean granite contact, consistent with previous interpretations. The drilling has revealed a hydrothermal redox transition zone marked by haematite alteration of magnetite-bearing mafic schists, a hallmark of many high-grade Archean gold deposits. This alteration signature may serve as a vector to further high-grade zones.
Interestingly, one hole (LNRC0108) intersected granite and syenite due to a steeply dipping Proterozoic reverse fault, which downthrows the mineralised shear zone to greater depth. This structural complexity highlights the potential for additional undiscovered mineralisation at depth and along strike.
Chile Drilling Delayed by Rare Environmental Event
Meanwhile, Lodestar’s planned drilling at the Three Saints IOCG and porphyry-style project in northern Chile has been postponed to early November. The delay is due to the "Desierto Florido" or Blooming Desert phenomenon, a rare and ephemeral wildflower bloom triggered by unusual rainfall in the Atacama Desert. The company’s Chilean team remains on standby to commence drilling as soon as the event concludes.
The Three Saints and adjacent Nicanor projects lie within one of the world’s largest iron oxide copper gold (IOCG) belts, hosting world-class deposits such as Candelaria and Carola. Lodestar’s exploration focus on these targets could unlock significant copper-gold resources in the near future.
Looking Ahead
Lodestar plans to follow up the Ned’s Creek strike extension with further drilling to delineate the resource potential. In Chile, the company is preparing to advance exploration at Three Saints and is reviewing data from the Nicanor project to define next steps. These developments position Lodestar as an intriguing explorer with diversified assets across two prolific mineral provinces.
Bottom Line?
Lodestar’s latest drilling results reinforce Ned’s Creek as a promising gold target, while Chile’s rare wildflower delay adds a unique environmental twist to exploration timing.
Questions in the middle?
- How will re-assay results of composite samples affect the overall grade interpretation at Ned’s Creek?
- What is the potential scale of the 4km strike extension under cover southwest of Gidgee Flat?
- How might the Proterozoic reverse fault impact future drilling strategies and resource modelling?
