ELIZABETH SPRINGS EAST PROSPECT
The Elizabeth Springs East (ESE) Prospect is a 4km by 2km coincident magnetic and gravity anomaly that was first drill tested in 2008 (ES-08-02) by Red Metal Limited1, intersecting IOCG alteration with low levels of elevated copper. A follow up hole by Red Metal 2km north (ES-08-05) also intersected a pyrite rich IOCG alteration system.
The first drillhole by Anglo American at ESE (DTD002) was designed to test a high gravity feature 400m south of ES-08-02. Basement comprised variously altered metasediments, fine-grained mafic intrusive rocks, and porphyritic felsic sub-volcanic rocks. The hole intersected a broad 161m zone of elevated copper and gold associated with a magnetite-rich IOCG alteration assemblage. The 17.37m high grade copper zone intersected from 465.3m comprised intense magnetite alteration with chalcopyrite cross cutting veins and red rock hematite alteration with disseminated chalcopyrite (Figure 2, Table 1). Drill holes DTD004, DTD005b, DTD006b, DTD009, DTD012 and DTD014 were drilled proximal to DTD002 to test the extent of copper-gold mineralisation. DTD007 and DTD008 were drilled further NW to test magnetic and gravity highs (Figure 3).
Selected diamond drilling intercepts include:
▪️DTD002: 161m @ 0.4% Cu and 0.11g/t Au from 449m including;
– 17.3m @ 1.76% Cu and 0.37g/t Au from 465.3m including
– 0.21m @ 8.3% Cu and 8.27g/t Au from 465.89m
– 0.67m @ 25.6% Cu and 1.29g/t Au from 482m
▪️ DTD005b: 13.2m @ 0.44% Cu and 0.11g/t Au from 545.8m
▪️ DTD006b: 87.3m @ 0.30% Cu and 0.16g/t Au from 469m
Previous exploration conducted by Anglo American included a field trial of a new type of drill rig, the MinEx CRC RoXplorer 500 Coiled Tube (CT) drill rig. This CT drill rig is capable of drilling through surface cover and collecting a short interval of basement core. Drill hole DCT001 was abandoned while drill holes DCT002-005 were drilled to map the basement-cover interface near DTD002 with three CT holes intersecting copper mineralisation notably DCT010 which intersected 6.5m @ 0.52% Cu and 0.16% Ni from 423m (Figure. 3). Drillholes DCT006-011 were completed as a grid to map the basement-cover interface across ESE and assess potential geochemical dispersion of base metals or trace elements. A program of mud rotary holes to the top of basement (DTD016-19) was also completed alongside the CT drill program. The CT and mud-rotary holes only tested the top of basement, and whilst they provide extremely valuable targeting information, they have not comprehensively tested the rocks beneath each sample.
Selected CT rig top of basement intercepts include:
▪️ DCT002: 5.3m @ 0.06% Cu and 0.02g/t Au from 427m
▪️ DCT003: 11m @ 0.13% Cu and 0.05g/t Au from 433m
▪️ DCT010: 6.5m @ 0.52% Cu and 0.16% Ni from 423m
Figure 2:
(a) (top left) DTD002: 471m Hematite alteration with disseminated chalcopyrite + pyrite with cross cutting chalcopyrite + pyrite vein
(b) (top right) DTD002: 481.2m 60cm interval of massive chalcopyrite + pyrite + minor bornite, in quartz magnetite brecciated vein – sample assayed 25% copper
(c) (bottom left) DTD006b: 520.1m Intense magnetite alteration with disseminated pyrite + chalcopyrite
(d) (bottom right) DCT010 429.4m: pyrite matrix sulfide breccia, chalcopyrite veinlets, box work texture.
The bulk of drilling at ESE is confined to an 800m by 800m area within the much larger 4km by 2km magnetic and gravity anomaly which remains largely untested. Given the number and grade of copper intercepts in the limited drilling to date, ESE remains highly prospective and warrants further exploration (Figure. 3).
Table 1: Significant intercepts from Elizabeth Springs East. Note: 1000ppm (0.1%) Cu cut off; no more than 10m internal dilution2.
- Red Metal Limited, Elizabeth Springs Central Annual Reports EL 13321, CR57273 ↩︎
- Anglo American Exploration (Australia) Annual Report 2022 & 2023 – EPM27134 ↩︎
