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Far Northern Resources Limited ASX (FNR) is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed the Pole Dipole Induced Polarisation (PDIP) geophysical survey covering the Empire Mining Lease (ML20380) in far north Queensland.
Highlights
- Pole Dipole Induced Polarisation has delineated five new chargeability high anomalies over the Empire North and Empire South on ML20380. (Fig 1)
- The survey covered 13 lines over 19.7km using 50m & 100 dipole-dipole.
- The five new anomalies are characterised by high chargeability with associated structurally controlled resistivity low.
- Targets 1 and 2 appear to be close to surface and structurally controlled with chargeability high over some 400m. (Fig 3 & 4) with Target 1 appearing to dip to the northwest.
- Target 3,4 & Target 5 appear to be connected on an arcuate structure, some 800m in length. (Fig 5, 6 & 7)
- This is the first systematic IP survey over the Mining Lease. No part of the 5 anomalies has been drill tested to date.
- FNR is finalising a drilling plan for mid July 2024.
- The Mining Lease incorporates two breccia pipes with gold bearing epithermal quartz veins mantling the eastern flank totalling a JORC of 23,000Oz Au.
Empire Mining Lease IP Lines
Figure 1: Location of IP survey lines and target areas. Empire
The survey was designed to test first the extent of the porphyry discovered at depth beneath Empire North from the latest drilling by FNR. Secondly, to help delineate the area to the south over the copper gold projects that were highlighted by airborne magnetic survey and the recent rock chips reported in April (ASX Announcement 15/04/2024). The key focus of the PDIP survey was to better define the structural controls of the Mining Lease taking into consideration the magnetic low anomalies, the two breccia pipes and the historic mine shafts and pits at Empire South.
The survey data has confirmed three new large and two smaller chargeability anomalies associated with the magnetics (Fig 2) and has allowed FNR’s technical team to locate and plan new drill targets within the project area ahead of the planned drilling in July this year.
This article includes content from Far Northern 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.
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Far Northern Resources
Overview
Far Northern Resources (ASX:FNR) is a newly listed Australian explorer focused on gold and base metals. The company debuted on the ASX on April 12, 2024, after finalizing its IPO, during which it secured AU$6 million in funding. The company has three exploration projects – two based in Northern Queensland (Empire and Rocks Reef) and one in the Northern Territories (Bridge Creek).
In the 2022-23 fiscal year, mining played a pivotal role in Australia's economy by generating a record $455 billion in export revenue, accounting for nearly 66 percent of the total exports. This underscores the industry's significant contribution to the nation's economic stability, government revenues, and the creation of employment opportunities in regional areas.
According to the Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies 2022, Australia is one of the most attractive regions for mining. Fraser Institute ranks the Northern Territories and Queensland as the 6th and 13th most attractive destinations for mining investment.
During 2023, Queensland's mines yielded 12.6 tons of gold, positioning it as the fourth most prolific state in Australia for this precious metal. Its output falls slightly below that of the Northern Territory (13.9 tons).
The presence in relatively attractive mining jurisdictions positions the company to capitalize on opportunities in Australia's resource sector and deliver sustainable returns to its shareholders. The IPO funds of AU$6 million have provided sufficient funding to the company to advance its exploration projects. Overall, Far Northern is planning a 20,000-meter drilling program over the next two years, which will consist: of 5,000+ meters for Empire; 2,500 to 5,000 meters for Bridge Creek; and 2,500 meters planned at Rocks Reef in the China Wall prospect.
Company Highlights
- Far Northern Resources (FNR) is a newly listed Australia-based gold and base metals exploration company. The company was listed on the ASX on April 12, 2024, following the completion of its IPO in which it raised AU$4 million.
- The company has three projects across Northern Queensland and the Northern Territories – Empire, Bridge Creek and Rocks Reef. Empire and Bridge Creek are significantly advanced, drill-ready with JORC-compliant resources.
- The flagship project Empire has undergone extensive exploration work culminating in a 2019 mineral resource estimate of 22,500 oz gold. The company intends to undertake 5,000 meters of drilling at Empire over the next two years which should lead to further expansion of the resource base.
- At Bridge Creek, FNR is planning a 2,500- to 5,000-meter drilling program, which aims to enhance inferred resources to indicated status, as well as extend the mineralization both along the strike and at depth.
- The Rock Reefs property presents a prospective upside for FNR with historical exploration confirming the presence of a mineralized vein system at the China Wall prospect. FNR is planning a 2,500-meter drill program at the China Wall prospect.
- The presence in relatively attractive mining jurisdictions in Australia positions the company to capitalize on opportunities in Australia's resource sector and deliver superior returns to its shareholders.
Key Projects
Empire Project (Copper-Gold)
The Empire Project, situated 34 km west of Chillagoe in North Queensland, covers an expanse of 252 hectares, on granted mining lease 20380. The tenement boasts a rich exploration history, marked by substantial drilling conducted across various phases. This culminated in the determination of a 2019 mineral resource estimate of 22,505 oz of gold on the Empire Stockworks gold deposit.
Over 7,460 meters of RC drilling and 750 meters of diamond core drilling have been carried out by Far Northern Resources, resulting in multiple intersections of copper, gold and silver. Rock chip assays yielded noteworthy grades, with results showing up to 12.64 percent copper (FNRRCS24001) and 4.12 grams per ton (g/t) gold (FNRRCS24002). Further surface sampling unveiled copper grades ranging from 2.61 percent to 11.89 percent and gold grades from 0.70 g/t to 2.16 g/t.
The rock chip assays extended the strike of known mineralization at the Empire Stockworks prospect by a further 750 meters and management believes it could be part of a bigger porphyry-style target.
Several targets have already been identified on the Empire tenement:
Empire Stockworks Prospect: Located close to the northern Breccia zone, this is the most advanced Far Northern target, in respect of exploration progress.
United Empire: Situated south of the Empire Stockworks prospect and adjacent to the Pinnacles breccia zone, this anomaly exhibits copper/gold characteristics, as revealed by previous exploration efforts conducted by entities other than Far Northern.
Copper Pit: It is also located south of the Empire Stockworks prospect and close to Pinnacles breccia. The analysis of the minor mullock heaps in the vicinity suggests the area holds promise for copper and gold prospects.
Pinnacles Prospect: It is situated in the Pinnacles breccia zone to the south of the Empire Stockworks Prospect. Far Northern has done very minimal exploration work so far on this prospect.
Going forward, Far Northern is planning a 5,000-meter drilling program at Empire over the next two years, which should lead to further expansion of the resource base. The program will focus on the Empire Stockworks prospect, where the aim is to upgrade inferred resources to indicated, and to extend the mineralization along strike and at depth.
Bridge Creek Project (primarily Gold)
The project is located 150 km south of Darwin in the Northern Territories. It comprises three mining leases, 766, 1060, 30807, situated within the Pine Creek Geosyncline. The project is in the historical mining area of Cosmos Howley – Pine Creek which has produced over 2 million oz of gold. A mineral resource estimate was completed in 2022 containing 70,560 oz of inferred gold resources.
At Bridge Creek, Far Northern is planning a 2,500- to 5,000-meter drilling program, aiming to enhance inferred resources to indicated status, as well as extend the mineralization both along the strike and at depth.
Rocks Reef Project (Copper-Gold)
The Rocks Reef Project is located 52 km west of Chillagoe and comprises exploration permit 26473, which covers the Georgetown Tectonic Province. It is situated along a northeast structural trend spanning over 20 kilometers, within a large quartz-veined and altered porphyry formation. Geochemical sampling has revealed anomalous gold and silver veins within a 3-km by 1-km area.
The Rock Reefs property presents a prospective upside for Far Northern with historical exploration confirming the presence of a mineralized vein system at the China Wall prospect. FNR has already identified targets for the tenement:
China Wall: Situated north of the tenement, this represents the most advanced target in terms of exploration progress within Rocks Reef. The previous operator had drilled a total of 155 air track holes along major and minor epithermal veins and structures, reporting precious metal mineralization. Subsequently, Far Northern conducted rock chip and soil analyses as part of follow-up investigations. Management is now planning a 2,500-meter drill program at the China Wall prospect.
Savannah Way and Single Peak: It is located about 1.3 km north of the China Wall. Far Northern has undertaken a rock chip and soil sampling program.
Roadside Copper: The target is located about 4.5 km from the China Wall Prospect. It saw little exploration work when it was held by the previous owner. Far Northern has conducted preliminary exploration including the analysis of rock chips and soils, which revealed the presence of gold, copper and associated minerals in the area.
North Drift Breccia and South Drift: Here again, the rock chip and soil samples have returned positive results indicating potential for mineralization.
Management Team
Cameron Woodrow – Executive Director and CEO
Cameron Woodrow has over two decades of experience in the financial and mining industries, both domestically and internationally. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the company in collaboration with FNR's geologist. Woodrow's professional background commenced in the investment banking sector in Europe and Australia, where he held positions as a corporate advisor and sales trader at Paterson Securities and the Stonebridge Group. Earlier in his career, he served in various roles at Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse in London.
Mattew Bashford – Executive Director and CFO
Mattew Bashford has nearly 28 years of experience serving as CFO and company secretary at various public and private firms. Bashford has played a crucial role in the success of Far Northern Resources since its inception, contributing to its structuring, all capital raises to date, and accounting/tax compliance. He has been serving as a director of Far Northern since May 17, 2019. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland and is also a chartered accountant.
Catriona Glover – Company Secretary
Catriona Glover is a qualified lawyer with over two decades of experience in corporate and commercial law, specializing in corporate governance and providing company secretarial advice to both listed and unlisted entities. She has offered legal counsel, corporate governance expertise, and company secretarial services to numerous companies across diverse industries such as biopharma, financial services, mining, stockbroking, education, manufacturing, software and not-for-profit organizations. Glover has been the company secretary for several listed and unlisted companies, including Far East Gold, Maronan Metals, VGI Health Technology (NSX:VGI), Aeramentum Resources, and Invictus Biopharma.
Michael Stephenson – Geologist
With more than two decades of experience, Michael Stephenson has served as an exploration project manager for prominent companies such as Hancock Prospecting, Murchison Metals and Great Central Mines. He has extensive expertise in exploration project management, accumulated over 20 years of professional practice. Stephenson has played a pivotal role at Far Northern, overseeing all exploration activities, including structural mapping, rock chipping and soil sampling. Notably, he played a crucial role in enhancing the JORC Resource at Empire by executing the drilling program in 2020.
Roderick Paul Corps – Chairman Independent
Roderick Paul Corps commenced his career as a stockbroker at Porter Western (now Macquarie Group), followed by tenures at Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan in the United Kingdom. He has served as a director for Eternal Resources (ASX:BRN) and Voyager Global Group, which is now Cyelip Group (ASX:CYQ). From 2013 to 2021, he was the corporate and investor relations manager at Westgold Resources (ASX:WGX). Currently, Corps is a non-executive director at Marketech and serves as the managing director of NICO Resources (ASX:NC1).
Development Contract for Underground Exploration Drill Drive Awarded to Barminco
Highlights:
- Development contract for the underground exploration drill drive at the Dalgaranga Gold Project awarded to Barminco Limited.
- The contract, which is valued at ~$18.3 million, provides for 2,350m of development to deliver twin decline access for the establishment of underground drilling platforms to in- fill and extend mineralisation within the Never Never, Pepper, Four Pillars and West Winds areas.
- The drill drive has also been designed to support future mine production activities.
- All regulatory mining approvals are now in place and all major support services have been engaged to facilitate the commencement of construction in the current quarter.
- Surface exploration drilling at Dalgaranga will shortly re-commence, with rigs arriving on site later this month.
Figure 1: Long Section of the Never Never Gold Deposit and the Pepper, Four Pillars and West Winds Gold Prospects looking east. Proposed exploration drill drive design in black.
The contract, which is valued at ~$18.3 million including an allowance for fuel and contingencies, provides for 2,350m of development to deliver twin decline access for the establishment of underground drilling platforms to in-fill and extend mineralisation across the Never Never, Pepper, Four Pillars and West Winds deposits.
All of these steeply-plunging, high-grade gold zones are located along a single 800m-long, semi- continuously mineralised north-south stratigraphic horizon (see Figure 1). The exploration drill drive has been designed to run parallel and adjacent to this horizon to provide underground drill platforms to more effectively define these existing deposits and prospects, as well as explore for further high-grade shoots and provide critical underground infrastructure as Spartan develops its future mine plan.
Construction of the drill drive is on-track to commence in the September Quarter, with all regulatory mining approvals and support services in place. In addition, the Company has established an experienced on- site project team to manage and oversee the development and construction process. Establishment of the drill drive, and an initial underground drilling programme, is fully funded from the Company’s existing cash reserves.
Management Comment
Spartan Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Simon Lawson, said: “We are delighted to have Barminco on board to complete the construction of this new drill drive, which represents a very exciting initiative that will enable us to drill from platforms located right alongside our high-grade deposits and targets. This will provide for cheaper, more accurate and quicker drilling to continue to accelerate our Resource growth and conversion to Ore Reserves.
“All of the high-grade deposits and prospects discovered at Dalgaranga over the past two years remain open at depth – with mineralisation at the Never Never deposit now defined to beyond 1km below surface – and we’re very excited to get the underground rigs in place to help determine just how deep this high- grade mineralisation extends.
“Importantly, the drill drive is being constructed using the same dimensions as a standard underground mine development, ensuring it can be incorporated into our infrastructure planning for the future re- commencement of mining operations.
“Construction of the drill drive is set to kick-off later this Quarter and is expected to take approximately 10 months to complete. In addition, we will also shortly re-commence surface drilling programs, targeting the Pepper, Four Pillars, West Winds and other near-surface anomalies, ensuring plenty of exciting news- flow for shareholders in the months ahead.”
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Spartan 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.
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