Novo’s Belltopper Gold Project (Belltopper) comprises the adjacent Malmsbury and Queens projects within the gold prolific Bendigo Zone, and is located approximately 50 km SSW of the high-grade world-class Fosterville Gold Mine and 120 km NW of Melbourne.
In March 2023, Novo consolidated Belltopper (100%) by acquiring the remaining 50% interests in both the Malmsbury Project from GBM Resources (ASX:GBZ) and the Queens Project from Kalamazoo Resources (ASX:KZR).
Belltopper is characterised by a network of underexplored high-grade gold reefs and is considered highly prospective for multiple gold-mineralisation target-styles, including shear/fault related (e.g. Stawell, Costerfield), anticline related (e.g. Fosterville), intrusion hosted (e.g. Woods Point), and intrusion-related (IRG) mineralisation.
Exploration efforts are focused on first-order high-grade gold targets generated from drilling, geophysics, mapping, structural and mineralisation studies, geochemical vectoring, and 3D modelling of historic (known) and newly discovered gold reefs that occur across the project area. Novo has commenced a diamond drilling program consisting of ~2,300 m with six primary planned drill collars designed to test the highest priority targets at Belltopper. Drilling is expected to take around three months to complete, with assays to be reported throughout H1, 2024.
