Mineral Discoveries In the Gawler Craton are Heating Up- Gold Exploration Will Be Next Level In 2026.
- Noel Ong
- 3d
- 11 min read
The Gawler Craton is one of Australia’s oldest and most mineral-endowed pieces of continental crust, forming the geological backbone of central and western South Australia (Figure 1). Covering an area of more than 440,000 square kilometres, the craton represents a long-lived and complex geological province that has recorded over two billion years of crustal evolution. Its stability through deep time has allowed multiple mineralising events to be preserved, making it a globally significant terrain for understanding large-scale ore-forming processes.
Figure 1: ap of Australia showing the broad subdivision into three major cratonic elements (after Myers et al., 1996); the North Australian Craton, West Australian Craton and South Australian Craton. Also shown are geological provinces and regions. (source: Fraser, Geoff & Huston, David & Gibson, George & N.L., Neumann & Maidment, D.W. & Kositcin, Natalie & Skirrow, Roger & Jaireth, Subhash & Lyons, Patrick & C., Carson & Cutten, Huntly & A., Lambeck. (2007). Geodynamic and metallogenic evolution of Proterozoic Australia from 1870-1550 Ma: a discussion.
From an exploration perspective, the Gawler Craton is best known as the host to world-class mineral deposits, including Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill, and Carrapateena (Figure 2). These deposits sit within the eastern portion of the craton and collectively define one of the most important Iron Oxide Copper-Gold (IOCG) provinces on Earth. The presence of these systems highlights the craton’s unique ability to focus deep-sourced fluids along long-lived crustal structures, a characteristic that continues to attract exploration interest today.
Figure 2: Simplified basement geology map of the Gawler Craton, showing the location of the Olympic Cu-Au-(U) province and the Cultana Inlier. (source: Curtis, Stacey. (2009). Definition of the Cultana Subsuite: a high level felsic Hiltaba Suite age intrusive in the eastern Gawler Craton. MESA Journal. 53. 17-27.)
Geologically, the Gawler Craton is characterised by Archean to Proterozoic basement rocks that have been repeatedly reworked by major tectono-magmatic events. Of particular importance are large-scale magmatic episodes, such as the Hiltaba Event, which is widely regarded as a key driver of IOCG mineralisation across the province. These events not only introduced heat and metals into the crust but also exploited pre-existing structural corridors, creating favourable conditions for large mineral systems to develop.
Importantly, much of the Gawler Craton remains underexplored due to extensive sedimentary and regolith cover, particularly within the Gawler Range Volcanics and adjacent basins. This cover has historically masked prospective geology, but advances in geophysics, geochemistry, and mineral systems thinking have opened new opportunities. As exploration shifts from discovery-led to concept-driven approaches, the Gawler Craton continues to stand out as a province capable of delivering the next generation of major mineral discoveries.
Figure 3: A solid geology map with the major mineral deposits in the Gawler Craton. (source: Holly Bridgwater 2020- South Australia pioneers data-driven exploration initiative. AUSIMM Bulletin)
What are the Headline Numbers for the Gawler Craton?
The Gawler has long been a mixed soup of minerals, with the famous Olympic Dam playing a global role in dominating metal production, firstly in uranium and now copper and gold. Although it is not a major player singularly, with its history of mining over the decades, it has been a dominant producer of both uranium and copper. With the discovery of Carapateena, Prominent Hill, and Challenger Gold Mine, the understanding of the prospectivity has never been in doubt.
In recent times, there have been more discoveries with the Paris Silver Deposit (Discovered in 2011), Copper in Hillside (Discovered in 2008), and Titanium with the Muckanippe Deposit (Discovered in 2024) by PTR Minerals (Petratherm). Let's not forget the private players like Peak Iron, who are mining iron ore as well.
Gold
As the gold price continues to move upwards with vigor (Figure 4), the gold exploration sector on the ASX is heating up as well. In Australia, the A-Grade projects are pretty much out of range for any M&A activities, as the value proposition is pretty much no longer in the realm of discussion. Anyone who has Tier-1 gold assets is now setting their own journey and will not be interested in any diversification. They do not fear the dreaded term, capital raise, anymore, as they are pretty much funding their own needs. They are printing cash.
The Tier-2 projects have had their M&A, and now the Tier-3s are being discussed. In some way, even the Bads have had some M&As, and now the "Sugar Honey Ice Teas" are being considered. The price of gold as of 26th December is robust, and most market narrative is that the pricing will continue to rise.
Figure 4: Gold price as of 26th December 2025. (source: Kitco)
Copper
The Gawler Craton is not only a gold heaven, but it is also a very rich copper province, and the copper price is also heading north, as you can see in Figure 5, it is now at an all-time high. The IOCG mines within the Gawler Craton are all now printing money. BHP is in controlled in that department, and their recent takeover of Oz Minerals will now look like the deal of the century.
Figure 5: Copper price as of 26th December 2025. (source: Kitco)
Silver
The silver price is now getting everyone's attention (Figure 6), and even the non-believers are now realising that they may have missed the first move. I have to admit that the breakout pricing has been threatened on many occasions over decades, and I think that the surprise in not catching the rise is why the silver price has moved so fast to the level it is now.
Figure 6: Silver price as of 26th December 2025. (source: Kitco)
With the rise in Silver price, the Paris Silver deposit may have got a new lease of life, and production may just be around the corner. The search for Paris-type deposits is in earnest, with parts of the Gawler previously not known for potential, now becoming a place to test the waters.
Unfolding Discovery Across the Gawler Craton in 2025 - Gold Exploration in The Gawler Heats Up.
So this leads us to the discussion of the increased exploration activity across the Gawler Craton. This acceleration is driven by a convergence of the search for Challenger-like high-grade gold discovery and aggressive drill programs now underway. Recently, Marmota Limited (ASX: MEU) made a release of their maiden drilling (14 October 2025) at their Greenewood gold project (Figure 7). The Greenwood project has had historical results that have delivered some of the most spectacular near-surface gold results recorded in the region since the Challenger Mine’s breakthrough in 1995, defining almost one kilometre of continuous mineralisation.
Figure 7: Greenewood 1m Splits Plan Overview (source: MEU)
At the same time, Taiton Resources Limited (ASX: T88) has mobilised drill rigs to its Kingfish Prospect at Challenger West (Figure 8) and recently completed that drilling program. The company has also secured regulatory approval to drill the Yogi Prospect at the Highway Project—two targets shaped by the same structural and geophysical frameworks that have historically produced Tier-1 outcomes in South Australia.
Figure 8: Location of Challenger West Projects (source: T88)
Barton Gold Holdings Limited has recently announced that it is undergoing a High-Resolution Gravity survey over its Challenger Gold mine tenement. The aim is to try to identify structures similar to those of the Challenger Gold mine. Together, these datasets show a province entering a new phase of momentum, where empirical evidence, modern targeting methods, and well-funded programs are collectively heating the exploration narrative across the Gawler Craton.
Company Focus
Marmota’s focus within the Gawler Craton is the emerging Greenewood discovery, part of the Golden Moon JV, where it holds 90% ownership. The project sits 35 km northwest of the Aurora Tank gold deposit and roughly 30 km northeast of the Challenger Gold Mine (Figure 9).
Figure 9: Gawler Gold Belt & MEU Tenements (source: MEU)
Taiton Resources maintains a dual-front exploration strategy:
Challenger West Project – drilling underway at the Kingfish Prospect.
Highway Project – DEM-approved drilling at the Yogi Prospect, testing a significant gravity anomaly interpreted as IOCG or carbonatite-hosted REE potential (Figure 10).
Figure 10: Location of Highway Project (source: T88)
What is in store for all Mineral Explorers with evidence of Mineralisation at Greenewood?
From the maiden RC drilling (146 holes, 15,480 m), Greenewood has rapidly advanced into a near-continuous, 900-metre mineralised zone featuring spectacular grades.
Key outcomes include:
109 g/t Au (1m split from 26m) – Hole 25GWRC046
95 g/t Au (1m split from 22m) – same hole
94 g/t Au (1m split from 66m) – Hole 25GWRC099
33m @ 10 g/t Au (22m downhole) – 25GWRC046
22m @ 5.1 g/t Au (49m downhole) – 25GWRC099
Multiple intervals between 15–41 g/t Au across the 1m splits dataset
The high-grade intervals occur from shallow depths of approximately 17–31m from surface, with additional mineralised zones extending between 32–77m depth. These sections confirm that bonanza-grade mineralisation is present both near surface and at depth, reinforcing the continuity of multiple stacked lodes across the Greenewood trend (Figure 11).
Figure 11: Sectional views (source: MEU)
MEU confirms several bonanza zones remain open along strike.
Table 1 shows multiple +5 g/t Au intercepts, including several 1m samples above 90 g/t Au occurring across different drillholes, confirming that high-grade shoots repeat along the trend and remain open along strike
Assays may be Implicating Potential Scale for the Region
The 14 October update provided best-ever 4m composite intersections at Greenewood, demonstrating continuity well before the detailed 1m splits arrived (Figure 12):
4m @ 43 g/t Au (Hole 25GWRC099)
4m @ 38 g/t Au (Hole 25GWRC046)
4m @ 29 g/t Au, 25 g/t Au, 14 g/t Au, 11 g/t Au, 10 g/t Au across multiple drillholes
Thick intervals such as 28m @ 6.4 g/t, 24m @ 12 g/t, 16m @ 6.5 g/t, 28m @ 5.6 g/t
Figure 12: Greenewood Plan Overview (4m Composites)(source: MEU)
T88 – Drilling Begins at Kingfish Prospect (Challenger West)
On 2 December 2025, Taiton confirmed drillers are on site, and RC drilling has commenced at Kingfish, a prospect located ~40 km west of the Challenger Mine in a geological setting analogous to the Challenger deposit (Figure 13).
Figure 13: Drill Rig at Kingfish (source: T88)
The 3-week drilling program targets gold and pathfinder anomalism coincident with north-northeast-trending interpreted structures (Figure 14).
Figure 14: Area 1 Soil & Magnetic Map (source: T88)
T88 – Yogi Prospect Receives Approval to Drill (Highway Project)
DEM approved Taiton’s E-PEPR submission to drill the Yogi Prospect, where a >6 mGal gravity anomaly covers a strike of ~1.5 km (Figure 15).
Figure 15: Yogi Gravity Model (source: T88)
3D inversion modelling indicates (Figure 16):
3.17 g/cm³ dense core, >1 km strike × 400 m wide, from 600 m depth
Lies within a broader 2.97 g/cm³ body over 5 km strike
Offset from a magnetic iso-shell (0.025 SI), interpreted as a potential intrusion
Figure 16: Yogi prospect long-section of modelled denser core; 3.17 g/cm3 gravity iso-shell (magenta body), within broader dense body 2.97 g/cm3 gravity iso-shell (green wireframe) with modelled 0.025 SI magnetic iso-shell (pink body) interpreted to represent a potential intrusion. (source: T88)
These characteristics are consistent with both IOCG and carbonatite-hosted REE systems.
About the Project – T88
Taiton Resources is progressing two priority targets in South Australia. Work is advancing at both Challenger West and the Highway Project.
Challenger West – Kingfish Prospect
RC drilling has completed.
Samples will be sent to Adelaide for assay.
Kingfish is located ~40 km west of the Challenger Gold Mine.
The geological setting is considered analogous to Challenger.
Drilling focuses on gold and pathfinder anomalism aligned with NNE-trending interpreted structures.
Highway Project – Yogi Prospect
DEM approval received to drill Yogi.
Target defined by a >6 mGal gravity anomaly.
Strike extent: ~1.5 km.
3D inversion modelling identifies:
A 3.17 g/cm³ dense core (>1 km long, ~400 m wide, from ~600 m depth).
A surrounding 2.97 g/cm³ body extending ~5 km.
Offset magnetic iso-shell (0.025 SI), interpreted as a potential intrusion.
Prospectivity includes IOCG-style and carbonatite-hosted REE potential.
Access is favourable, ~16 km from the Stuart Highway.
Together, Kingfish and Yogi provide two distinct exploration opportunities—one gold-focused, one geophysics-driven—within a major metallogenic corridor of the Gawler Craton.
Near-Term Milestones to Watch
MEU
Arrival of next batches of 1m assays
Completion of Stage 2 drilling before Christmas 2025
Integration of new assays into the maiden scoping study (commenced 18 Nov 2025)
T88
Assay results from Kingfish drilling (expected following 3-week program)
Finalisation of drill contractor and scheduling for Yogi’s maiden program (Q1 2026)
Potential follow-up on broader Highway Project anomalies
Samso Concluding Comments
The historical datasets that sat with the old Jumbuck project, which was last drilled by Tyranna Resources has always confirmed a genuine mineralised corridor with repeatable high-grade zones, shallow intercepts, and coherent structural control. The recent release by MEU, which stated a continuity was observed across nearly one kilometre, is particularly noteworthy given the historical drilling.
T88’s exploration programs introduce complementary geological stories. At Kingfish, the drilling will probably confirm that the structures observed are a regional characteristic and not limited to what is at the Kingfish project. This may be the key to the structural setting analogous to a million-ounce mine.
This is precisely the type of factual, model-driven exploration effort that historically produces meaningful results in the Gawler Craton. The soil-magnetic correlations and interpreted shear zones highlight strong geological justification for drilling.
The Yogi story is a completely different narrative from what is unfolding over the art in the Challenger Gold region. This is what Jon Hronsky would call a "Hybrid" geological setting. The region where T88 has its Highway project is neither an IOCG nor a Tunkillia/ Tarcoola gold region. If you watch the Coffee with Samso "All About Carbonatites and the Exploration Concepts | Jon Hronsky | CWS Ep. 209", Jon meticulously outlines what he thinks is the need to move away from the "traditional" notions of mineral types and "Labelled Mineralised Systems". I think the hybrid thinking is what discovered Gruyere by Gold Road Resources, the Tropicana Gold Deposit and The Nova/Bollinger Nickel deposit at the Albany Fraser Belt, the Julimar NI-Cu-PGE depositin the Darling Range of Western Australia, and...etc
For T88, the gravity and magnetic inversion modelling provides a robust targeting framework. The geophysical signatures are consistent with major IOCG systems in the Gawler Craton, and carbonatite-related REE possibilities add a layer of prospectivity. DEM approval ensures that T88 can now translate modelling into drilling outcomes.
Together, these datasets show a region where multiple companies are simultaneously generating substantial geological evidence. The Gawler Craton is heating up because the data justifies the interest—high grades, major anomalies, and structurally coherent targets are all converging at once.
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