Stelar Metals Limited (SLB.ASX) Phase 1 Tungsten Fieldwork Update Hill of Leaders Project
Stelar Metals Limited (ASX:SLB) has announced the successful completion of its Phase 1 fieldwork program at the Hill of Leaders Tungsten Project in the Northern Territory, with tungsten mineralisation (wolframite and scheelite) confirmed over a broad area within quartz vein and greisen systems hosted in the Hill of Leaders Granite.
Highlights
- Stelar's Phase 1 field program has successfully identified and sampled tungsten mineralisation over a broad area at the Hill of Leaders Tungsten Project
- 18 rock chip and grab samples collected across the Hill of Leaders Tungsten Field have been dispatched to laboratory for assay
- Tungsten mineralisation occurs predominantly as wolframite and scheelite hosted within quartz vein and greisen alteration systems developed within the Hill of Leaders Granite
- Mineralisation comprises multiple subparallel and stacked quartz veins in mineralised corridors extending over widths of 100m and over 2km in length
- First assay results anticipated in late June 2026
- Phase 1 Reverse Circulation (RC) drill planning on track to commence in July 2026
- Previous rock chip sampling at Hill of Leaders returned exceptional surface grades including 6.1% WO3, 2.1% WO3 and 1.45% WO3
Stelar Metals Limited (ASX:SLB) reports initial field observations including tungsten mineralisation following successful completion of its Phase 1 field program at the Hill of Leaders Tungsten Project in the Northern Territory, Australia.
Stephen Biggins, Executive Chair, Stelar Metals Limited commented:
"Stelar's geologists have confirmed scheelite and wolframite mineralisation in outcrop and shallow historic mine workings as part of our first successful field campaign on the Hill of Leaders Project.
"Along with our imminent second field campaign, shareholders should expect Stelar's first tungsten assays from our new project later this month ahead of the start of RC drilling schedule in July."
Hill of Leaders Phase 1 Field Program
Stelar Metals' first reconnaissance sampling program was undertaken across the Hill of Leaders project area, focusing on historical mine workings, trenches, processing sites, and associated waste material. A total of 18 samples were collected during the program (Figure 2*).
More than two dozen individual mine trenches were identified across the Hill of Leaders Tungsten Field with most displaying a northwest-southeast orientation, although several crosscutting structures are also present.
In many cases the workings contain piles of quartz-rich crushings ranging from approximately 3-20 mm in size. Remnant grains of both wolframite and scheelite were observed within all crushing piles examined.
Makinsons (Figure 3*), Curtis, North Curtis, and Old Ghan workings, located toward the northwestern extent all exhibited abundant copper mineralisation associated with quartz veining. In contrast, copper minerals were notably absent from the samples collected in the Hill of Leaders area. This observation may indicate a degree of mineral zonation within the system and warrants further investigation.
Hill of Leaders - Project Geology
The Hill of Leaders Tungsten Field is situated within the Hill of Leaders Granite, a multiphase and highly fractionated intrusion of the Tennant Creek Supersuite. The granite is characterised by coarsegrained textures and large orthoclase phenocrysts, and is intruded by later pegmatite, aplite and mafic dykes. These late intrusive phases are considered closely associated with tungsten mineralisation throughout the field.
Tungsten mineralisation occurs predominantly as wolframite and scheelite hosted within quartz vein systems developed within the Hill of Leaders Granite. The mineralisation comprises multiple subparallel and stacked quartz veins, with some vein corridors extending over widths of approximately 100 m and the complete exposed area of mineralisation is around 2km in length. Quartz and quartz-hematite veins commonly mark contacts between different granite phases and are locally associated with greisen alteration and hydrothermal brecciation.
Structural controls appear to have played a significant role in the emplacement of the mineralisation. A prominent set of northwest-southeast-trending shear and possible alteration zones trend through the granite and apparent conjugate structural sets may have provided pathways for mineralising fluids and influenced the distribution of the vein systems in the vicinity of the historic workings.
Bedrock exposure within the field is generally limited, with much of the area covered by shallow transported material. However, historical mine workings demonstrate the presence of steeply dipping to sub-vertical quartz vein sets that remain open at depth. The close spatial association between the vein systems, fractionated granites, late-stage intrusive dykes and regional structural features supports an intrusive-related hydrothermal model for the Hill of Leaders tungsten mineralisation.
Next Steps
- Imminent - Phase 2 mapping and sampling program
- June 2026 - Phase 1 assay results
- July 2026 - Phase 2 assay results
- July 2026 (target) - Phase 1 RC drilling commences (~3,000m over 3 sections)
- Q3 2026 - Phase 1 Diamond Drilling (~1,000m) to follow up RC results
- Q4 2026 onwards - Phase 2 RC/Diamond Drilling and Resource Drilling
Hill of Leaders Tungsten Project Background
The Hill of Leaders Tungsten Project is located on exploration licence EL33232, covering 445km2 in the world-class Tennant Creek mining region of the Northern Territory, approximately 80km from Tennant Creek and well serviced by major road and rail infrastructure connecting to Darwin Port.
Stelar has entered into a binding earn-in agreement2 with private company F&H Brothers Metals Pty Ltd, where Stelar has the option to acquire 100% of the project within 12 months.
No bedrock drilling has ever been conducted beneath the mineralised surface vein swarms, representing a genuine first-mover discovery opportunity which Stelar is actively moving to test.
*To view tables and figures, please visit:
https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/6QP9639D
Stephen Biggins Executive Chair Stelar Metals Limited info@stelarmetals.com.au +61 8 8372 7881 Fiona Marshall White Noise Communication fiona@whitenoisecomms.com +61 400 512 10
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