The company is searching for gold targets similar to the mine at Stawell.

Drills will reach between 60 to 100 metres deep during the exploration.

It will leave holes about 90 millimetres wide in order to take samples every metre.

Navarre Minerals managing director Geoff McDermott said the company was speaking with Ararat Rural City Council and landowners about the drill plans following a successful geophysics survey.

“Early indications are it is looking quite promising,” he said.

“We have got a prospective mineral target we’d like to test through drilling.

“We are in the process of speaking to landholders and the council.”

Mr McDermott said the aim of the project is to discover the state’s next gold mine, although there are steps they must take first.

“There is a lot of water to go under the bridge before that,” he said.

“This is an initial test that would be followed up by a deeper drill program that includes infill drilling and step out drilling.

“It just requires different types of drilling equipment.

“The early drilling just takes rock fragments, it is a percussion type drilling so you just get what is gravel coming back.”

Navarre Minerals has other exploration projects at Stawell and Fosterville, next to two gold mines.

Mr McDermott said so far landowners had been positive about the drilling.

“I think they are receiving it with interest to see what is going,” he said.

“Most people have been very supportive, just about everyone has been understanding of what we are doing.

“And we have been discussing our plans, not just personally, but also over the phone and email.”