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Canterbury Resources Limited (Canterbury or the Company) provides an update covering final assay results from its 2024 drilling program at the Briggs Copper Project (Project) in central Queensland. A Scoping Study is scheduled for completion in mid-2025, assessing potential development of a large-scale open pit mine, with ore processing via conventional froth flotation into copper and molybdenum concentrates.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Assay results have been received from the final holes in the 2024 drilling program at the large-scale Briggs copper-molybdenum project in Queensland1 (Inferred resource 415Mt at 0.25% Cu and 31ppm Mo). These cover three holes assessing higher-grade mineralisation along the southwest margin of the Central porphyry and two testing the Southern porphyry target.
- The results confirm the Southern porphyry target as a new discovery approximately 300m to the southeast of the current Briggs resource, with copper and molybdenum mineralisation evident from near surface, e.g.
- 270.5m at 0.22% Cu and 16ppm Mo from 17.7m in 24BRD0035, including
- 83.8m at 0.28% Cu and 37ppm Mo from 27.2m.
- 97m at 0.20% Cu and 66ppm Mo from 36m in 24BRD0036.
- 270.5m at 0.22% Cu and 16ppm Mo from 17.7m in 24BRD0035, including
- Results from infill drilling at the Central porphyry resource have also extended the known zone of shallow, higher-grade mineralisation, e.g.
- 203.1m at 0.36% Cu and 52ppm Mo from 98.0m in 24BRD0033, including
- 26m at 0.50% Cu and 32ppm Mo from 102m, and
- 85m at 0.43% Cu and 35ppm Mo from 148m.
- 162.4m at 0.26% Cu and 44ppm Mo from 88.7m in 24BRD0034.
- 203.1m at 0.36% Cu and 52ppm Mo from 98.0m in 24BRD0033, including
- All the 2024 drilling results are feeding into an updated Mineral Resource Estimate, being completed in the March quarter, which will be used in mining studies in the current Briggs Scoping Study. Results from the Scoping Study are expected in mid-2025.
- The metallurgical test-work component of the Scoping Study is well advanced, including comminution studies, plus assessment of copper and molybdenum recovery via flotation into sulphide concentrates. Results are expected in the March quarter. Previous test work indicated excellent metallurgical recoveries from all styles of copper mineralisation.2
- Funding for Briggs continues to be provided by Alma Metals Ltd (ASX: ALM) (Alma) under an Earn-In Agreement (Earn-In). Alma is in Stage-3 of the Earn-In whereby it can reach a 70% interest by spending an additional $10 million.
Managing Director, Grant Craighead, said:“The 2024 Briggs drilling program has been extremely successful. Importantly, we’ve outlined a higher-grade zone of mineralisation that enhances our early mining options, as well as confirming that the Southern porphyry hosts significant mineralisation providing potential to continue expanding the overall Briggs resource. We are also very encouraged by progress in our Scoping Study activities and look forward to outlining our project development concepts and indicative financial parameters in the not-too-distant future.”
The Project comprises six tenements: Briggs (EPM 19198), Mannersley (EPM 18504), Fig Tree Hill (EPM 27317), Don River (EPM 28588), Ulam Range (EPM 27894) and Rocky Point (EPM 27956). Alma is funding the Project and can reach a 70% interest by funding an additional A$10 million3.
Briggs is in a tier one jurisdiction with exceptional infrastructure. It is 60km west of the deep-water port of Gladstone and 15km north of a significant road, rail and power corridor. It also benefits from a skilled local workforce and straightforward land ownership.
Figure 1 Briggs Location
Briggs currently hosts an Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 415Mt at 0.25% Cu and 31ppm Mo at the Central and Northern porphyry deposits (Figure 2), plus an encompassing Exploration Target of an additional 480Mt to 880Mt at 0.20% to 0.30% Cu and 25ppm to 40ppm Mo4 that has been outlined by surface mapping and geochemical sampling, plus limited shallow drilling. The potential tonnage and grade of the Exploration Target is conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a mineral resource. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in an increase in the MRE.
The 2024 core drilling program at Briggs commenced in June and the final hole was completed in early December. During the program, eleven holes (2,955.5m) were drilled, with assay results now received for the final five holes: three (24BRD0032 to 24BRD0034) at the Central porphyry and two (24BRD0035 and 24BRD0036) at the Southern porphyry (refer Figure 2 and Appendix 1).
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This article includes content from Canterbury Resources, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Loyal to Acquire the High-Grade Highway Reward Copper Gold Mine
Key Highlights
- Loyal secures binding option to acquire the Highway Reward Copper Gold Mine in Queensland, Australia - one of the world’s highest-grade copper mines, with past production totalling 3.65Mt at 5.7% Cu and 260kt at 4.5 g/t Au.
- The acquisition is the first step in Loyal’s 2025 Strategic Plan to broaden its critical minerals portfolio into copper.
- No exploration has been conducted on the granted mining leases since operations ceased in July 2005 despite a ~680% increase in copper prices and a ~1,256% increase in gold prices since the 1997 feasibility study.
- Significant increase in copper and gold prices, combined with the previous exclusion of gold in sulphides from the mine plan, highlights the enhanced remnant copper-gold potential.
- Exploration potential for new discoveries both along strike and at depth, as previous mining only reached depths of 220 metres for open pit and 390 metres for underground operations, with limited exploration beyond mined zones.
- With $4.4 million in funding, Loyal is well-positioned to revisit the high-grade Highway Reward Copper Gold Mine by deploying modern exploration techniques. With global initiatives to enhance energy grids and no USA tariffs on Australian copper, the outlook for copper is strong and unencumbered.
Loyal‘s Managing Director, Mr. Adam Ritchie, commented:
"We are thrilled to secure this incredibly rare opportunity for our current and future Loyal investors. The Highway Reward Copper Gold Mine, considered one of the highest-grade copper mines in the world, is now primed for a revisit after 20 years of dormancy.
The granted mining leases of the Highway Reward mine provide an amazing speed to market opportunity - especially when both copper and gold are near all-time highs. The short-term and long-term opportunities at Highway Reward are exciting, considering the significant growth in commodity prices since the 1997 feasibility study. Copper is driving our electric future and gold continues to play an important role in our global economy.
Whilst a lot has changed in the past 28 years, the unwavering demand for copper and gold has only intensified. This is truly an amazing opportunity to unlock and showcase the immense potential of this forgotten mine. With modern technology and innovative mining techniques, we believe the Highway Reward Copper Gold Mine will provide exceptional value and returns to our Loyal shareholders."
Figure 1 Highway Reward Copper Gold Mine: Located 37 km south of Charters Towers within the Mount Windsor Volcanic Belt. Accessible via an all-weather highway, 172 km from the Port of Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
The Highway Reward Copper Gold Mine is located only 37 km from the active mining town of Charters Towers in Queensland, Australia, within the Mount Windsor Volcanic Belt. This area is renowned for its rich history in copper and gold mining, with strong social license support for mining activities. It features large-scale mining operations such as, Newmont’s 3.2 Moz Mt Leyshon gold mine and Yuxin Holding’s 3.4 Moz Pajingo gold mine. The region is close to the polymetallic, Thalanga Processing Plant and the Mount Carlton Processing Plant, with road and rail to Glencore’s Mount Isa copper hub, Townsville copper refinery and the Port of Townsville.
With the growth in commodity prices and advancements in exploration and mining technologies, the potential for remnant copper-gold mining has significantly improved. Previous mining operations targeted copper within chalcopyrite, while gold associated with both chalcopyrite and pyrite was excluded from the mine plan. With lower copper equivalent cut-off grades (copper & gold), higher continuity of copper-gold can be drill tested to demonstrate the reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction and mineral resource potential.
Graph 1: Highway Reward Copper Gold Mine - mining ceased in July 2005: 28 Years of Commodity Growth
Significant potential will be assessed and areas tested for copper-gold extensions to subvertical trends, that may exist below current mining levels at the Highway Reward Copper-Gold Mine. The previously mined, copper-gold rich pipes will also be assessed for drill testing along strike (Figure 2). Previous mining and surface mapping geological observations illustrate that high- grade copper-gold pipes have been identified in dacite, rhyolite, and volcaniclastic host rocks, therefore strong prospectivity exists for discovering additional pipes beyond the historically mined zones in all rock types on the property, except recent overlying sediments that conceal the basement host rocks (Figure 2). No modern advanced geophysical techniques or data processing methods have yet been applied to assess this potential.
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This article includes content from Loyal Metals Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
