Sheoak Gold Zone Remains Open: What Risks and Rewards Lie Ahead for Auravelle?
Auravelle Metals has reported significant high-grade gold intersections at its Sheoak Prospect in South Australia, with mineralisation extending over 600 metres and remaining open. The company plans multiple follow-up drilling programs in 2026 to expand these promising results.
- 28m at 3.4g/t gold intersected at Sheoak including higher-grade zones
- Gold mineralisation extends over 600m and remains open along strike and at depth
- Multiple strong gold intercepts from November 2025 RC drilling program
- Sheoak located within the prolific Yarlbrinda Shear Zone near Barton Gold’s Tunkillia project
- Auravelle plans extensive 2026 drilling across South Australia and Western Australia
Strong Start to 2026 with High-Grade Gold at Sheoak
Auravelle Metals Limited (ASX, AUV) has kicked off the new year with a compelling update from its Sheoak Prospect, part of the Nuckulla Hill Gold Project in South Australia. The recent reverse circulation (RC) drilling program completed in November 2025 delivered broad zones of high-grade gold mineralisation, including an impressive 28 metres at 3.4 grams per tonne (g/t) gold starting from 48 metres depth. Within this interval, higher-grade pockets of 4 metres at 12.7 g/t and 4 metres at 5.6 g/t were also recorded, highlighting the prospect’s significant potential.
These results build on earlier drilling that has now defined a gold trend extending over at least 600 metres, with mineralisation remaining open both along strike and at depth. Additional notable intercepts from the program include 8 metres at 2.2 g/t gold from 80 metres and 16 metres at 1.3 g/t from 56 metres, reinforcing the continuity and scale of the system.
Geological Context and Regional Significance
Sheoak sits within the highly prospective Yarlbrinda Shear Zone, a structurally complex corridor known for hosting shear zone–related hydrothermal gold deposits. This shear zone also hosts Barton Gold Holdings Limited’s nearby 1.6 million ounce Tunkillia Gold Project, underscoring the regional prospectivity. Auravelle’s mineralisation is interpreted as lode-style gold hosted in sheared granitoid and gneissic rocks, with alteration and sulphide mineralisation typical of structurally controlled gold systems.
The company’s Managing Director, Andrew Muir, emphasised the significance of these findings, noting that the mineralisation has now been intersected over more than 200 metres of strike within a broader 600-metre anomalous zone. He highlighted the open-ended nature of the gold trend and the company’s plans to aggressively test extensions to the north, south, and at depth.
Looking Ahead, A Busy Exploration Calendar
Auravelle is gearing up for a busy 2026 exploration schedule, with multiple drill programs planned not only to follow up at Sheoak but also to test new targets across its South Australian and Western Australian project portfolio. These include regional aircore drilling near Barton Gold’s Tunkillia project, maiden drilling at the Skye Project adjacent to Marmota Limited’s Golf Bore deposit, and further work at the Crown Project near Kalgoorlie.
The company’s methodical approach, combining detailed geochemical sampling, structural interpretation, and targeted drilling, aims to delineate further significant gold mineralisation and advance these early-stage discoveries towards resource definition.
Early-Stage but Promising
While the results are encouraging, Auravelle acknowledges that the geometry of the mineralisation is still being refined, and true widths of the gold zones remain to be established. Further drilling and detailed assay work, including 1-metre resampling, are underway to improve grade resolution and support resource modelling.
Nonetheless, the combination of broad intercepts, high grades, and a well-endowed geological setting positions Auravelle’s Sheoak Prospect as a compelling target in the competitive South Australian gold exploration landscape.
Bottom Line?
Auravelle’s Sheoak results mark a promising start to 2026, setting the stage for a potentially transformative year of exploration.
Questions in the middle?
- How will upcoming 1-metre resampling assays refine the understanding of grade distribution at Sheoak?
- What are the implications of the open-ended gold trend for potential resource size and economic viability?
- How might Auravelle’s exploration strategy evolve in response to competitor activity within the Yarlbrinda Shear Zone?
