The Conversation (0)
West Cobar’s (ASX:WC1) 100%-owned Bulla Park Copper Project 110km west of Cobar in New South Wales, contains a large copper – antimony system as indicated by previous drill intersections.
Highlights
- Previous diamond drilling shows broad intervals of disseminated copper - antimony mineralisation
- Previous intercepts have contained significant sulphidic copper and antimony mineralisation, such as:
- 89m at 0.30% Cu and 0.10% Sb, including 33m at 0.47% Cu and 0.15% Sb (19CA002, 176m to 265m)
- Copper grades up to 1.46% Cu (19CA002, 246m to 247m)*
- Antimony grades up to 0.5% Sb (19CA002, 246m to 247m)*
- Copper and antimony grades increase towards a broad zone of faulting targeted by recently drilled diamond hole BPD09 (assays awaited)
Mineralisation is dominantly tetrahedrite (copper - antimony sulphide) and minor chalcopyrite and stibnite (antimony sulphide). Antimony grades in previously assayed drill hole intercepts are approximately 30% to 35% of the copper grade, reflecting the theoretical composition of tetrahedrite (Cu12Sb4S13).
Recently drilled BPD09 (see ASX release of 13 August 2024) was designed to test an interpreted fault zone where higher copper – antimony grades were anticipated. The hole successfully intersected a broad zone from 120m to 338m (218m) of faulting, fracturing, disseminated copper- antimony sulphides, siderite alteration, veining and stockworks, and tectonic and hydrothermal breccias. The core samples from BPD09 are currently in a laboratory undergoing preparation. Assay results are expected to be received during September.
* See Appendix 1 for complete Cu and Sb assays for drill hole 19CA002
Antimony grades at Bulla Park follow the copper distribution. High grades of copper are found with better antimony grades. Apart from the dominant antimony mineral tetrahedrite, stibnite occurs as radiating needles in fractures and makes up about 10% of the antimony content.
Further drilling is planned to extend the major fault zone containing broad intervals of disseminated copper-antimony mineralisation.
Antimony
Antimony (Sb) is a designated critical mineral in many countries and is used in military applications, solar cells, fire retardants and as a strengthening agent in alloy production.
China supplies 56% of the global antimony production and has decided to restrict exports of antimony from 15 September 2024, claiming that its strategic reserves are too low to allow further exports. This has caused the price of antimony to increase significantly to approximately US$23,000/t as USA and European users seek to secure supply. (source: www.reuters.com)
Previous Results at Bulla Park
A characteristic of the Bulla Park deposit is consistency of copper and antimony grades over wide intervals (historical drilling intersected stratabound zones outside of the fault zone, where better grades are anticipated).
Table 1: Summary of historical assay results of copper-antimony mineralisationResults reported using 0.2%Cu cut-off
In previous drilling, both the copper and the antimony grades increase towards the newly intersected fault zone recently targeted by BPD09 (assays awaited). The nearest previously drilled historical hole to the fault zone is 19CA002, which includes 7m of 0.27%Sb and 0.71% Cu from 245m.*
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from West Cobar 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.
High grade Assay Results Continue at Youanmi
- The latest batch of assays have been received from the 11,000m drilling program (both diamond core and reverse circulation) at the high gold-grade Youanmi Gold Project, located centrally in Western Australia’s prolific gold fields
- The recently-completed infill/exploration program aimed to improve resource confidence and open up corridors for resource growth; to underpin the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS), and, additionally, provide sample material for ongoing metallurgical optimisation test-work for the DFS program
- Latest highlights from the program include:
- RXDD131: 4.38m @ 19.07 g/t Au from 387.98m,
- incl. 1.73m @ 41.43 g/t Au from 389.96m
- RXDD119: 4.56m @ 14.60 g/t Au from 220.64m
- RXDD115: 2.99m @ 21.11 g/t Au from 249.88m
- RXDD119: 4.0m @ 7.37 g/t Au from 162.0m
- RXDD132: 7.19m @ 3.90 g/t Au from 263.61m
- RXDD133: 2.83m @ 6.53 g/t Au from 431.00m
- RXDD128: 3.82m @ 4.51 g/t Au from 364.59m,
- incl. 1.73m @ 8.22 g/t Au from 364.59m
- incl. 1.73m @ 8.22 g/t Au from 364.59m
- RXDD122: 0.95m @ 13.50 g/t Au from 204.44m
- §These results further demonstrate the continuity of high- grade gold mineralisation along the Youanmi greenstone belt belt, and the potential for resource growth both at depth and along-strike, with discovery potential to the south
- 35,000m Step-up drill campaign well underway with the plan to bring forward ounces and increase the mine plan
The program focused on converting Inferred stopes at Pollard, United North and Youanmi Main to higher confidence Indicated classification and providing material for metallurgical testing for the upcoming Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) – on track for H2 CY25.
This final consignment of diamond assay results are the fourth batch of assays results returned from the drill program and have been entirely drilled from the Pollard, Youanmi and United North areas (Figure 1).
Rox Resources’ Chief Executive Officer, Phillip Wilding, commented:
“It’s pleasing to round out the 11,000m RD and DD drilling program with another batch of excellent intercepts.
“More importantly, the program has significantly improved our knowledge of the high grade and underexplored Youanmi ore system, and shown that mineralisation remains open at depth.
“Next steps are to convert Inferred areas of the Resource to the higher confidence Indicated classification, and finalise key intercepts of sample material for metallurgical test work to feed into the Youanmi DFS.
“We are excited to have commenced the 35,000m Step-up program to potentially bring forward ounces in the mine plan and significantly increase the size of the Pollard ore zone.”
Youanmi Major Growth Drill program
Resource drilling has focused on converting selected Inferred stopes in the current Mineral Resource of 16.2Mt at 4.4g/t Au for 2.3Moz (Indicated: 10.7Mt at 4.5g/t Au for 1.6 Moz : Inferred 5.5Mt at 4.2g/t Au for 0.7 Moz) 1 to higher confidence Indicated classification at Pollard, United North and Youanmi Main as shown in plan on Figure 1. The drilling has also provided both sample material for metallurgical testing and valuable geological data for the pending Definitive Feasibility Study (“DFS”) planned for second half of 2025.
Figure 1: Plan view of the Youanmi Gold Project featuring drill hole collar locations and 2024 Resource outline overprinted on aerial photography
Outside of the immediate resource area, drilling was also conducted on near-mine exploration and focused on the Youanmi South prospect area, or Paddy’s Lode, first reporting high-grade intercepts in 20232. The drilling at Paddy’s has complimented the Company’s exploration strategy moving south along the Main Lode Shear Zone (MLSZ) and adding additional gold ounces to the Resource. Youanmi South has the potential to grow the Resource above the 103kozpa Production Target outlined in the recently completed Pre-Feasibility Study (“PFS”)3.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Rox Resources 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.
Drilling Commenced at Viani in Fiji
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Phase 1, three-hole diamond drilling program has commenced at the Viani Project, Fiji and will test for extensions to the quartz vein gold mineralisation at depth.
- Phase 1 is expected to be completed in early 2025, with plans for additional drilling under the same program dependent on the initial results
- The Viani Project (SPL1513) covers an area of approximately 200km2 and is largely underexplored.
- At the Dakuniba prospect within Viani, low sulphidation epithermal high-grade gold mineralisation has been mapped over >3km strike length.
- Diamond drilling completed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 1995 to 1997 intersected high-grade gold in low sulphidation epithermal quartz veins, including 0.6m @ 27.6 g/t Au.
Alice Queen’s Managing Director, Andrew Buxton said,
With drilling underway, Alice Queen is positioned to test the epithermal gold-style mineralisation identified in historic drilling at the Viani Project. Weather permitting, we anticipate completing the Phase 1, three-hole diamond drilling program in early 2025. Following this, our exploration team will mobilise the drill rig to the Sabeto Project in Fiji to maintain the momentum of this campaign. To deliver timely results to shareholders, we intend to accelerate the analysis of the drill core at ALS Brisbane.”
Image 1 – Diamond drilling at Viani
Details
Geology
The geology of the Viani Project (SPL 1513) comprises olivine basalts and volcaniclastics of the Natewa Volcanic Group which are intruded by andesite sills and dykes. In the 1940s, gold mineralisation was found by local prospectors near the village of Dakuniba. At Dakuniba, low sulphidation style epithermal gold occurs in quartz veins, and silicified rocks along a 3km long NE trending zone.
In 1995-1997, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) drilled six diamond holes at Dakuniba and intersected high-grade gold in chalcedonic, crustiform, colloform banded quartz veins at depths of 50m to 100m below surface (i.e. MJVFV-5 intersected 2.2m @ 11.3 g/t Au, incl 0.6m @ 27.6 g/t Au at 121m downhole). This high-grade gold mineralisation is open in all directions.
Proposed Drill program
The initial Phase 1 drill program at Viani (see Table 1) will comprise three diamond drillholes designed to test continuity to the epithermal gold mineralisation previously intersected in JICA drillhole MJVFV- 5 (2.2m @ 11.3 g/t Au) (see Figure 2). The drilling will test for extensions to the gold mineralisation at depth and along strike.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Alice Queen 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.
