Antipa Minerals claims new copper-gold discovery at Calibre
THE DRILL SERGEANT: Antipa Minerals (ASX: AZY) has claimed assay results have confirmed the Calibre discovery at the company’s Citadel project in the Paterson Province of Western Australia to be a major new gold-copper deposit.
Antipa has completed only two diamond drillholes at Calibre prospect, however both of these have returned 270 to 350 metre intersections of semi-continuous precious and base metal sulphide mineralisation.
Standout intersections from drillhole 12AMD0032 include:
– 75.70 metres at 0.73 grams per gold, 0.42 per cent copper, 1.35 grams per tonne silver and 0.04 per cent tungsten for a gold equivalent grade of 1.59 grams per tonne or a copper equivalent grade of 1.05 per cent.
This intersection occurred within a 225.6m intersection at 0.5g/t gold, 0.22 per cent copper, 0.67g/t silver and 0.02 per cent tungsten for a gold equivalent grade of 0.95g/t or a copper equivalent grade of 0.62 per cent.
Antipa claimed the grade of mineralisation it encountered increased with depth and to the north.
“Over a geologically comparable 226 metre interval, grades for gold, copper, silver and tungsten increased by factors of 2.4, 3.0, 2.8 and 1.5 respectively from 12AMD0029 to 12AMD0032,” Antipa Minerals said in its ASX announcement.
“The very substantial increase in the amount of veining, alteration, brecciation and mineralisation in 12AMD0032 compared to 12AMD0029 confirms that the mineralising system is intensifying toward the stronger magnetic and DHEM anomalies, both of which remain essentially untested at this stage.”
The two drillholes were completed on the central, upper extremities of the approximately 800m long by 600m wide by 350m thick Calibre magnetic anomaly, which the company originally identified using aeromagnetics.
Calibre prospect plan projection showing drillholes, 3D magnetic
inversion models and DHEM plate (off-hole conductor generated from
12AMD0029).Magnetic anomaly is 800m long. Source: Company announcement
Antipa has subsequently identified a downhole electromagnetic anomaly (DHEM) from a downhole survey carried out on 12AMD0029.
This target is yet to be tested and remains open.
“It is believed that the mineralisation discovered to date is not sufficient to explain both the DHEM and magnetic anomalies,” Antipa explained.
“As such, an increase in mineralisation is interpreted to be likely as drilling is continued across the target area and this is supported by the increased veining, alteration, brecciation and mineralisation found in 12AMD0032 when compared to 12AMD0029.
“The other important aspect is the continuity of mineralisation over extremely significant thicknesses, which confirms the sheer size of the mineralised system.”
Antipa said it believes its initial diamond drilling at Calibre has provided an understanding of key mineralisation controls and relationships to various geophysical anomalies, which has given it confidence of ongoing exploration success.
The company indicated this exploration potential will be its initial focus for its 2013 exploration program.
Antipa’s outlined its objective will now be to increase the mineral endowment and development opportunity of the Magnum Dome mineral camp.
At this stage the Company envisages undertaking geophysical surveys, including DHEM in 12AMD0032 and fixed-loop surface EM, during February and potentially commencing drilling as early as March 2013.