Early Gold Targets at Crown Project Highlight Exploration Risks Ahead

Early Exploration Success at Crown Gold Project

Auravelle Metals Limited (ASX – AUV) has reported encouraging results from its initial aircore drilling program at the Crown Gold Project, located 45 kilometres east of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. The early-stage drilling campaign, comprising 53 holes for over 3,100 metres, has confirmed and extended large areas of supergene gold anomalism previously indicated by historical drilling.

The anomalous gold zones stretch over at least 2 kilometres in a north-south direction and appear on multiple drill lines, suggesting a significant mineralised footprint. Notably, the gold anomalism is associated with key geological structures and rock types that are also linked to the nearby Majestic gold mining centre operated by Black Cat Syndicate (ASX – BC8), which hosts over 500,000 ounces of gold within the Kal East 1.29 million ounce gold project.

Geological Context and Target Identification

The Crown Project lies within the Norseman-Wiluna greenstone belt, a prolific Archaean gold province. Auravelle’s drilling intersected supergene gold mineralisation typically near the bottom of aircore holes, which may represent a weathered halo above primary gold deposits in fresh rock. Several high-priority targets have been identified where gold anomalism coincides with zones of deeper weathering and cross-cutting structures, indicating potential for significant primary mineralisation at depth.

These findings are particularly promising given the project’s proximity, less than 5 kilometres, to established mining centres such as Majestic and Fingals, which benefit from existing infrastructure and processing facilities. This logistical advantage could accelerate future development if exploration continues to yield positive results.

Next Steps in Exploration

Auravelle plans to conduct a second aircore drilling program early in 2026 to further delineate and expand the gold anomalous zones. Following this, the company intends to undertake deeper reverse circulation (RC) drilling to test the primary targets identified beneath the supergene zones. These follow-up programs aim to refine the understanding of the mineralisation and assess the potential for economic gold deposits.

Managing Director Andrew Muir expressed optimism about the results, highlighting the confirmation of fertile structures and the identification of multiple targets for deeper drilling. The company also continues to advance exploration at other projects, including Nuckulla Hill and Skye in South Australia, signalling a broad and active exploration pipeline.

Broader Implications

The confirmation of extensive gold anomalism at Crown reinforces the prospectivity of the Kalgoorlie region and Auravelle’s strategic positioning within it. While these results are preliminary and require further drilling to establish resource potential, they add to the growing interest in greenstone belt exploration. Investors will be watching closely as assay results from the upcoming programs become available and as Auravelle advances its exploration strategy.