Empire intersects high-grade A Zone copper

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Perth-based Empire Resources has struck a seven metre wide copper intersection its A Zone prospect, located within the company’s wholly owned Yuinmery copper-gold project, in Western Australia.

The copper mineralisation was identified in a recently completed Reverse Circulation drill hole that was part of an ongoing drilling program being carried at the A Zone prospect.

The A Zone prospect lies 1.3 kilometres north of Empire’s Just Desserts prospect where the company has defined a JORC Indicated and Inferred resource of 1,070,000 tonnes at 1.82 per cent copper and 0.78 grams per tonne gold.

Using a 0.5 per cent copper cut-off the intersection which was part of a broader 25 metre zone, averaged:

– 4 metres at 4.68 per cent copper, 0.5 grams per tonne gold from 194 metres with 7 metres at 3.17 per cent copper, 0.47 grams per tonne gold from 192 metres down hole.

According to Empire the copper mineralisation was contained within the upper horizon and forms part of a 25 metre wide zone of disseminated sulphide mineralisation.

True width is estimated to be at least 80% of the drill intersection.

“This latest intersection of higher grade copper mineralisation confirms the potential of the A Zone prospect at Yuinmery,” Empire Resources managing director David Sargeant said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“This is the deepest drill hole yet drilled into the mineralisation at less than 200 metres vertically below surface.”

Sargeant said the company had released a previous announcement referring to an earlier drill hole which had intersected 5m at 4.4% copper from 170m within 19m at 1.85% copper from 160m down hole.

“That intersection is at a vertical interval of approximately 110 metres below the surface,” Sargent continued.

“An enhanced program of drilling is planned at A Zone as well as testing a number of other promising geophysical targets in the project area.

“This initial result is consistent with our view that A Zone is part of a significant mineralised system.

“This would be tested by deeper drilling in the area. The attractive intersections of seven metres and 19 metres at good grade, together with the known mineralisation at Just Desserts, gives credence to our belief that the region has the potential to host a number of significant VMS mineralised zones.

“Many assays from other holes are still pending from this drilling program.”

The company said it expects to release a full set of analytical results in its upcoming quarterly report.