This article is a sponsored feature from Mining.com.au partner Union Star Metals. It is not financial advice. Talk to a registered financial expert before making investment decisions.
Union Star Metals (ASX:USM) rebranded from PVW Resources, pivoting to gold in the powerhouse jurisdictions of Nevada and Idaho in a move that was not just strategic but opportunistic, seizing the chance to acquire Southern Prospecting and, with it, three highly prospective projects.
At the heart of the company’s transformation lies Cobb Creek, a keystone project on the Independence Trend in Northern Nevada, a corridor synonymous with world-class gold production and home to Nevada Gold Mines, the joint venture between Newmont (NYSE:NEM) and Barrick Mining (NYSE:B).
CEO Lucas Stanfield explains that the opportunity to acquire Cobb Creek was one that the company couldn’t turn down.
“The best place to find gold is where gold already exists. Cobb Creek already hosts a gold deposit, but what excited us was the possibility that the broader system had only been partially explored.”
And while the company has retained its rare earths projects, the focus is currently on these new gold projects.
Looking at Cobb Creek, Stanfield notes that the Independence Trend hosts several other major projects, each containing more than 1 million ounces of gold.
First Majestic’s (NYSE:AG) Jerritt Canyon hosts more than 9 million ounces of historical production, while Western Exploration’s (TSX-V:WEX) Aura Project hosts around 1.3 million ounces of gold and 13.6 million ounces of silver.
Within the Independence Trend also sits Union Star’s McCall Deposit and Cobb Creek with around 173,000 ounces of historical gold resources.
“Cobb Creek hosts historical resources of over 170,000 ounces, which we believe is just the tip of the iceberg of what is potentially out there,” Stanfield says.
Nevada is well known as a tier-one mining jurisdiction, especially within the gold space.
Stanfield notes that the stable regulatory framework and developed infrastructure make it a great state to be working in. The fact that other major mining companies are in the area and have paved the way certainly helps.
Stanfield compares it to Western Australia, another premier gold jurisdiction, but notes that despite Nevada’s long mining history, significant opportunities remain. Increasingly, explorers are focussed on concealed discoveries beneath shallow cover that were not effectively tested by historical exploration, a trend that is creating opportunities for the next generation of discoveries.
“What attracted us was the possibility that historical exploration had only identified part of the system. We believe there is significant potential to test concealed targets beneath shallow cover that were not effectively explored in the past.”
Cobb Creek: Keystone project on the Independence Trend
Union Star holds around 33km2 of land at Cobb Creek, located at the intersection of a number of northwest and north-northeast structural corridors.
Stanfield notes that Western Exploration’s project is just to the south of Union Star and that it has mineralisation coming through these structures as well.
“One corridor is associated with Carlin-style sediment-hosted mineralisation, while the other is associated with epithermal gold-silver mineralisation. We believe these structural corridors converge within the Cobb Creek project area.”
Central to the Cobb Creek project at the moment is the McCall deposit, the area of historical resources, which confirms a fertile mineralised system.
Stanfield explains that most of the earlier work at McCall was done in the 1990s, with most of the drilling completed being quite shallow.
“Nothing was looked at under cover,” Stanfield says.
The evolving geological model has been developed with input from experienced Nevada geologist Dr Clay Newton, whose work has helped refine the company’s understanding of the structural controls and concealed exploration potential at Cobb Creek.
The McCall project sits just to the side of a volcanic andesite cap. Stanfield notes that Union Star believes that the site might be part of a much larger mineralised system.
“Looking at that volcanic andesite cap, which is quite shallow, we believe that there is gold under that.
“We’re seeing a halo of thallium around that cap, along with a prominent gravity low. We’re seeing all the right markers for what we think is probably the source of the gold.”
This area is what Union Star is calling the Central Concealed Target, which is set to be the first drill target for the company. Stanfield notes that when Union Star purchased Cobb Creek, the previous owners had already started permitting work in the area, so permitting for drilling is already near completion.
“We’re looking at drilling that area in September 2026, all going well,” Stanfield says.
Union Star will start with some induced polarisation (IP) survey lines within the next month, which will help refine the location of future drill holes.
Apart from the Central Concealed Target, Union Star is also planning on extending McCall once the permitting is in place.
“We’ll do the IP work, put a line across McCall and across the Central Concealed Target, and then we’ll put a line down south,” Stanfield says.
“We expect to see some good results out of that IP, which will then direct that drilling later in the year.”
A transformative period begins in Nevada
Union Star is entering a pivotal phase at Cobb Creek, with IP surveys set to commence shortly. These surveys will refine drill targeting across both the McCall and Central Concealed Targets, where multiple datasets are already pointing to a potentially highly prospective system.
Permitting is nearly complete, paving the way for drilling in September 2026, which represents a major milestone in the company’s exploration strategy.
Union Star Metals has positioned itself in one of the world’s premier gold jurisdictions, with the Cobb Creek project leading the company’s strategy. With 170,000 ounces of historical resources already defined, the company believes this is only the beginning.
The upcoming IP surveys, imminent drill programs, and broader exploration pipeline mark the start of a transformative period. For Union Star, the opportunity is clear: to demonstrate that Cobb Creek can evolve into a million-ounce gold project and establish the company as a serious player on Nevada’s Independence Trend.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Images: Mining.com.au and Union Star Metals
