Flinders increases Blackjack deposit Mineral Resource

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Flinders Mines (ASX: FMS) has announced an update to the Mineral Resource at the Blackjack deposit at the company’s wholly-owned Pilbara Iron Ore Project (PIOP) in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The update has resulted from a program of infill drilling program undertaken by Flinders at the PIOP this year, which included a healthy amount of new drilling at the Blackjack deposit.

This has been the first drilling carried out at the Blackjack deposit since 2008 and consisted 194 new reverse circulation (RC) holes.

 

Location of the Blackjack deposit within the broader Pilbara Iron Ore Project (PIOP). Source: Company announcement

 

Based on these results, the updated Mineral Resource for the Blackjack deposit is 86.2 million tonnes at 56.8 per cent iron, using a +50 per cent iron cut-off.

This represents a significant increase of 93 per cent over the previously reported Inferred Mineral Resource for Blackjack.

Flinders said the majority of this Mineral Resource is now in the Indicated category at 84.2 million tonnes at 56.7 per cent iron.

The Mineral Resource is comprised of 19.5 million tonnes of Bedded Iron Deposit (BID) at 56.4 per cent iron, 64.6 million tonnes of Detrital Iron Deposit (DID) at 57 per cent iron and 2.1 million tonnes of Channel Iron Deposit (CID) at 53.9 per cent iron.

The company explained the increase in the current resource is due to the discovery of high quality DID and BID mineralisation via infill drilling and drilling undertaken outside of the previous resource boundary.

“Drilling is planned to commence this week to test for further high-grade mineralisation adjoining the Blackjack Mineral Resource and other BID targets within the PIOP,” Flinders Mines said in its ASX announcement.

“This Mineral Resource update, when combined with those of the other deposits across the PIOP in coming months, will culminate in an update to the PIOP global resource and will be integrated into the Bankable Feasibility Study, currently due for completion by the end of June 2015.”

Email: info@flindersmines.com

Website: www.flindersmines.com

Rox scores bonza copper results at Bonya

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Rox Resources (ASX: RXL) has reported promising assay results from recent reverse circulation (RC) drilling undertaken at the Bonya copper project, located east of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

According to Rox it has encountered a massive copper sulphide mineralised body in three drill holes at the Bonya Mine prospect from near surface to approximately 100 metres depth.

The company claims the assay results confirm previous visual estimates and include:

BYRC008
11 metres at 4.4 per cent copper from 30m, including 3m at 6.1 per cent copper from 33m;

BYRC009
38m at 4.4 per cent copper from 60m, including 6m at 8.8 per cent copper from 60m, and 8m at 7.9 per cent copper from 82m; and

BYRC012

9m at 3.8 per cent copper from 97m, including 3m at 8.2 per cent copper from 97m.

 

Bonya mine prospect drill plan. Source: Company announcement

 

“These initial drilling results have exceeded our expectations,” Rox Resources managing director Ian Mulholland said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“The results have established that massive copper sulphide mineralisation is present at Bonya over substantial widths and over a vertical interval of at least 100 metres.

“The high grades, including several one metre samples grading above 10 per cent copper are also very encouraging.

“The Bonya Mine prospect has the potential to be another significant base-metal project for the company, adding to our successes at Fisher East (nickel) and Teena (zinc-lead).”

Rox said the three holes (BYRC008, 009, and 012) were drilled on the one section targeted below the old Bonya Mine workings to ascertain the potential thickness, dip and grade of primary mineralisation below the oxide copper mineralisation.

“We initially only planned one drill hole at the Bonya Mine prospect, however we had to rapidly drill several more holes to get a better understanding of the exceptional mineralisation we intersected in that first hole,” Mulholland said.

“The second hole was even better than the first.”

The company indicated a follow-up RC drilling program is planned to commence as soon as possible.

Rox is earning an interest in the Bonya tenement through an Agreement with Arafura Resources (ASX: ARU).

Under the Agreement Rox can earn a 51 per cent interest by expenditure of $500,000 by December 2014.

The company anticipates meeting this expenditure requirement within the set timeframe.

Once it has Rox can then elect to increase its interest to 70 per cent by expenditure of a further $1 million by December 2016.

Email: admin@roxresources.com.au

Website: www.roxresources.com.au

Elemental drills encouragement at Dougou-Yangala

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Elemental Minerals (ASX: ELM) has received results from its Phase 1B drilling program recently carried out in the Dougou-Yangala area (part of the company’s Sintoukola potash project) in the Republic of Congo (RoC).

At the Yangala sylvinite prospect drilling of hole ED_03 returned Hangingwall Seam sylvinite of:

59.48 per cent potassium chloride (37.56 per cent potassium oxide) over a thickness of 4.21 metres.

Elemental said drillhole ED_03 correlated to previously reported ED_01, 1.4 kilometres to the east of ED_03, which had returned:

4.47m at 57.66 per cent potassium chloride (36.41 per cent potassium oxide).

The company said this result had confirmed its geological model while highlighting the potential of the Yangala sylvinite prospect.

At the Dougou carnallitite deposit drillhole ED_02 intersected the Top Seam, Hangingwall Seam, Upper Seam and the Lower Seam, all of which were thicker than Elemental expected.

Results returned a combined thickness of 43m of carnallitite and individual seams grading between 17.8 per cent and 24.7 per cent potassium chloride (11.2 per cent and 15.6 per cent potassium oxide).

Elemental indicated the quality of the deposit is underpinned by The Hangingwall Seam.

In drillhole ED_02 the seam is 11.21m thick grading 24.7 per cent potassium chloride (15.6 per cent potassium oxide).

The company explained the high grade relative to typical carnallitite is attributed to the fact that it is comprised of 90 per cent of the potash mineral carnallite.

The Top Seam in drillhole ED_02 is 10.22m thick grading 17.8 per cent potassium chloride (11.2 per cent potassium oxide).

Elemental stressed this seam was not included in the maiden Dougou Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate, but will be included in an updated Mineral Resource Estimate for Dougou planned to be completed in early 2015.

 

The Sintoukola Exploration Permit and the location of the Dougou deposit
and Yangala sylvinite prospect. Source: Company announcement

 

“An outstanding set of results for Elemental; they add further support to the quality of the Dougou carnallitite deposit; seams are thick, flat, high-grade, apparently of excellent continuity, and contain almost no insoluble,” Elemental Minerals CEO John Sanders said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“These characteristics underline the deposits’ potential suitability for a relatively low capital-cost solution mine.

“As it stands the deposit is large at 1.29 billion tonnes and open laterally.

“Even more exciting is the Hangingwall Seam sylvinite intersection in ED_03 at Yangala; at almost 60 per cent potassium chloride and 4.2 metres thick, and the fact that it correlates with the same seam ED_01.

“The company’s geological team is of the opinion that the Yangala prospect has the potential to host extensive areas of this seam, and possibly equal our Kola deposit in scale.”

Website: www.elementalminerals.com

Sovereign Metals releases Duwi Resource

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Sovereign Metals (ASX: SVR) has reported the maiden JORC Mineral Resource estimate for the company’s Duwi project in Malawi.

Sovereign Metals claimed the Resource has confirmed the project to be one of the largest, high-grade, flake graphite deposits in the world.

The total Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource estimate at Duwi has come in at 86 million tonnes at 7.1 per cent  total graphitic carbon (TGC), containing 6.13 million tonnes of graphite (5 per cent TGC cut-off).

The company explained that approximately 2.2 kilometres has so far been drilled of the known 24km strike length of the Duwi Trend, which it has interpreted to indicate the existence of potential to expand resources with further drilling.

The Indicated portion of the Mineral Resource estimate consists 17 million tonnes at 8.1 per cent TGC (7 per cent TGC cut-off) from surface to approximately 150m below surface.

Sovereign Metals indicated it will commence a Scoping Study immediately to examine a production scenario of 30,000 tonnes of flake graphite per annum and expanded scenario of 65,000 tonnes per annum, based on the Indicated Resource area and Duwi’s world-class large flake metallurgical properties.

“We are very pleased with this initial Mineral Resource estimate at Duwi, that validates our belief in the potential for low-cost, high-grade, flake graphite mining in Malawi,” Sovereign Managing Director Matt Syme said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“CSA Global’s resource estimates and metallurgical testwork by Mintek and SGS Lakefield reinforce that Duwi is in the top handful of potential new graphite producers around the world.

“We will now get on with further proving the potential both at Duwi and at our large portfolio of saprolite-hosted exploration targets.”

Email: info@sovereignmetals.com.au

Website: www.sovereignmetals.com.au

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to work we go

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Each week any number of junior exploration plays set out to drill their ground. Here’s a small selection of what’s been happening this week.

Drilling Commences at Giro gold project

Burey Gold (ASX: BYR) has commenced drilling at the Giro prospect in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with early results expected in late November 2014.

The initial Reverse Circulation drilling program will take four to six weeks and is testing the continuity of high-grade mineralisation intersected at Kebigada Shear Zone, within the Giro prospect, down to 100m as well as continuity of mineralisation.

The drilling program will consist of 2,800 metres at Giro and 200m at Peteku to test for mineralisation under previous Belgian high grade quartz vein mining.


Drilling to commence

Energia Minerals (ASX: EMX) is to commence a limited regional rotary mud drilling program at the company’s 100 per cent-owned Carley Bore In Situ Leach (ISR) uranium project in the Carnarvon Basin region of Western Australia.

This program, jointly funded by the Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum and Energia is expected to be completed within two weeks.

Additionally, a trial geophysical program comprising Sub Audio Magnetics and Dipole-Dipole Induced Polarisation will be carried out over two areas containing the Indicated Resources at Carley Bore.

On completion of the geophysical program and weather permitting, a pre-development rotary mud drilling program, comprising 23 holes on a 20m by 50m pattern for an expenditure of approximately $150,000, will be carried out in November.


Drilling program commences at Sefaatli

Anatolia Energy (ASX: AEK) has mobilised two rigs to the company’s Deliler uranium prospect where drilling has commenced.

Stage 1 drilling will be a combination of diamond core and rotary methods on an approximate 100 metre by 100 metre grid as both in-fill and step-out drilling.

It will also target high-grade uranium mineralisation intercepts, particularly at Deliler via a 56 hole program advancing over 6,000m.

Drilling is expected to take eight weeks, and results from the Stage 1 program are expected in late December 2014.

The Phase 1 results will be assessed to determine a follow on Phase 2 program, likely to commence in Q1 2015.


Second drill rig mobilised to Maronan

Red Metal (ASX: RDM) has mobilised a second drill rig to commenced drilling the first of two proposed deep holes designed to test the vertical continuity and zonation of the mineralisation below MRN13002 and MRN14002.

Drilling on Maronan has identified multiple horizons of strong lead and silver mineralisation within a 60 metre true thickness of banded carbonate-sulphide rock and iron formation.

About one third of the prospective carbonate sequence at Maronan is mineralised with lead and silver and it is speculated the whole sequence could become mineralised as drilling transitions.

Red Metal’s new geological model predicts that the Maronan mineralisation should zone with depth towards semi-massive lead mineralisation typical of the high-grade mineralisation at the core of the Cannington deposit located ninety kilometres to the south.

The first deep hole MRN14004 is designed to intersect the target horizons about 500m below recently reported mineralisation.

This hole is expected to take about six weeks to complete.


Drilling underway at Massigui

Birimian Gold (ASX: BGS) has commenced the next phase of an exploration drilling program at the company’s Massigui gold project in southern Mali.

This drilling will focus on the Viper prospect and the newly-identified Koble, Koting and Koura prospects.

An Aircore rig has commenced drilling and a reverse circulation (RC) rig will mobilize to the project area within the month.

At Viper prospect the drilling will; test for vertical extensions to recently defined shallow high-grade gold zones; and increase drill density and test along strike of recent ore-grade drill intersections.

Previous wide spaced AC drilling at Viper returned multiple shallow ore-grade drill intersections over down-hole widths.

The strike extensive, stacked gold trends within the broader Viper prospect provide considerable scope for delineating multiple gold lenses potentially accessible to a shallow open-pit mine operation.

At Koble, Koting and Koura prospects, drilling will evaluate high potential gold targets identified in previous wide spaced AC and auger drilling.

The company anticipates analytical results from the initial AC drilling program will be available in early November, which it intends using to plan further targeted RC drill testing at priority prospects.

Investigator investigates lead-silver system east of Paris

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Investigator Resources (ASX: IVR) has received positive scout drilling and assay results from the Ajax prospect, located within the company’s 100 per cent-held Peterlumbo tenement and 35 kilometres east of the Paris silver project.

Investigator said the Ajax prospect is considered to be the western extension of the Menninnie Dam, Weednanna and Frakes cluster of lead, zinc, silver and gold deposits on adjoining tenements held by other companies.

 

The Ajax scout drilling undertaken in September was carried out to investigate prospective outcrops and soil anomalies that delineate multiple targets.

Twenty-nine slimline reverse-circulation percussion holes were drilled to an average depth of 75 metres to test a variety of target scenarios.

According to Investigator, nearly half the holes intersected anomalous lead or silver with the drilling highlighting a central 2.5km by 1km area with a concentration of anomalous lead assays, alteration mineralogy and breccia geology similar to the upper levels of the Paris system.

The best assays returned included:

3 metres at 31grams per tonne silver from 24m; and

18m at 1.22 per cent lead from 42m.

Investigator concluded the scout drill results warrant infill and deeper drilling at Ajax, which will be preceded by a planned airborne magnetic survey to better position further holes on prospective structures.

“The new assay results support the potential for another silver-lead system underneath the shallow first pass drilling at Ajax, which is situated only 35 kilometres east of the Paris silver deposit,” Investigator Resources managing director John Anderson said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“The airborne geophysical survey will enable more focussed drilling to follow-up the large target opportunity.”

The company explained the Ajax results are part of a wider scout drill campaign recently completed on Eyre Peninsula.

Assays are awaited for 45 per cent of the drill samples primarily from the Paris North, Argos, Diomedes and Helen silver, lead and copper targets closer to the Paris deposit.

 

 

Email: info@investres.com.au

Website: www.investres.com.au

Plan of Investigator Resources’ tenements showing key target areas. Source: Company announcement

Dacian confirms larger gold system at Westralia

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Dacian Gold (ASX: DCN) has received results from a widely-spaced reconnaissance diamond drill program at the company’s Mt Morgans gold project, located in the Laverton District of Western Australia’s North Eastern Goldfields.

The drilling was designed to test for Banded Iron Formation (BIF) hosted gold mineralisation along strike of, and below, the mineralisation at the Westralia and Morgans North gold deposits, has returned several significant intersections.

A total of 14 diamond drill holes were drilled to a depth of between 140 to 680 metres below surface testing a three kilometre strike of BIF.

Dacian said this drilling confirmed the mineralised BIF horizon at Westralia is much larger than previously recognised.

Six of 14 widely-spaced reconnaissance diamond drill holes returned impressive significant intersections, including:

14MMRD024
2 metres at 18 grams per tonne gold – intersected 250m north of Westralia underground workings;

14MMRD025
2m at 8.6g/t gold – intersected 350m below the Westralia underground workings;

14MMRD022
1.8m at 7.9g/t gold – intersected 500m below the Westralia underground workings;

14MMRD026W1
4.2m at 6.8g/t gold – intersected 650m north of the Westralia underground workings and 600m south of the Morgans North pit;

14MMRD021
4.8m at 3.5 g/t gold – intersected 500m below the Westralia underground workings; and

14MMRD027
3.9m at 3g/t gold – intersected 200m south of Morgans North and 900m north of the Westralia underground workings.

Four of five holes testing the shallow-drilled 800m ‘gap’ between the Westralia and Morgans North mines also intersected noteworthy mineralisation.

 

Location of the planned reconnaissance diamond drill holes testing a 3km
strike of the Westralia BIF. Note the location of the ‘Interpreted
Flattening Zone’. Source: Company announcement

 

“The purpose of the drilling program as planned by Dacian’s geologists was to test the possibility that the Westralia and Morgans North ore positions belong to a larger ore system, and that the ‘Interpreted Flattening Zone’ may be an internal fault offset giving the appearance that Westralia and Morgans North are two separate ore bodies,” Dacian Gold said in its ASX announcement.

“Dacian is of the belief that if the results of the drill program were to show that mineralisation existed away from Westralia and toward Morgans North, then it may be possible both deposits belong to a larger, more extensive ore system.

“The results of this drill program support this new interpretation.”

Website: www.daciangold.com.au

Cassini claims new Nebo discovery

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Cassini Resources (ASX: CZI) has claimed discovery of new lode of high‐grade mineralisation at the Nebo deposit within the company’s 100 per cent-owned West Musgrave project in Western Australia.

Cassini declared the latest assay results from Nebo have demonstrated immediate success from the first hole drilled beyond the current Resource area, CZC0024, which returned:

7 metres at 0.98 per cent nickel and 1.13 per cent copper from 185m; and

3m at 1.45 per cent nickel and 0.22 per cent copper from 199m.

Cassini explained CZC0024 was targeting an untested electro‐magnetic (EM) conductor it had identified during a review of historical surface and down‐hole EM data at Nebo.

 

Section through 371700E showing new massive sulphide lode in CZC0024 and
high-grade zone in CZC0005. Source: Company announcement

 

A number of high‐grade intervals have been returned from the latest batch of assays, including:

CZC0005
36m at 1.54 per cent nickel and 1.04 per cent copper from 90m, including 10m at 2.46 per cent nickel and 1.44 per cent copper from 90m and 4m at 3.11 per cent nickel and 0.84 per cent copper from 119m;

CZC0001
5m at 1.89 per cent nickel and 2.67 per cent copper from 106m;

CZC0003
17m at 0.65 per cent nickel and 0.46 per cent copper, including 2m at 1.38 per cent nickel and 1.17 per cent copper from 68m; and

CZC0013
2m at one per cent nickel and 0.41 per cent copper from 81m.

Cassin considers these results demonstrate the continuity of the higher grade zone along these sections.

The company hopes to release further results from adjacent sections in the coming weeks, which it expects to demonstrate the longitudinal continuity of the mineralisation.

Cassini is confident it has now also proven the potential to grow the existing Resource, both in terms of tonnage and grade, as it tests areas beyond the extent of previous drilling.

Cassini said the location of contact at Nebo is poorly defined by historical drilling and geophysics, which provides it with the opportunity to discover new, relatively high-grade, mineralisation at depths considered suitable for open pit mining.

“We are amazed by the results from the ongoing drilling program at Nebo,” Cassini Resources managing director Richard Bevan said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“The results continue to exceed our expectations and definitely validate Cassini’s higher grade infill strategy.

“The immediate success from step‐out drilling provides encouragement that additional higher grade mineralisation can be delineated by targeting untested EM conductors beyond the existing Resource boundary.”

Email: info@cassiniresources.com.au

Website: www.cassiniresources.com.au

Northern Minerals increases Browns Range Resource

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Northern Minerals (ASX: NTU) has increased the JORC-compliant, heavy rare earth (HRE) Mineral Resource estimate for the company’s Browns Range project in northern Western Australia.

The Total Mineral Resource at the Browns Range project is now estimated at 8.47 million tonnes at 0.62 per cent total rare earth oxides (TREO) comprising 52,372,000kg (52,372tonnes) contained TREO using a cut-off grade of 0.15 per cent TREO.

 

Location and geology of Mineral Resources. Source: Company announcement

 

The company explained a key feature of the Browns Range Mineral Resource is the dominance of the high-value dysprosium, terbium and yttrium elements with average grades of 0.51kg/t, 0.08kg/t and 3.44kg/t respectively within the Total (Indicated and Inferred) Resource.

The HRE percentage of the Total Rare Earths is 87 per cent (Indicated and Inferred Resource).

Northen Minerals claimed the presence of xenotime as the dominant HRE mineral is a major competitive advantage for Browns Range.

Its reasoning being that the xenotime mineralisation is not only rich in dysprosium, it is also hosted in a mainly silica rock which allows the ore to be concentrated, up to 30 times, through a relatively simple beneficiation process with excellent recoveries.

“The upgrade in resource is a fantastic result for the project and a clear demonstration of the project’s future exploration potential,” Northern Minerals managing director George Bauk said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Our exploration results continue to exceed our expectations, and we have been successful in converting these results into defined resources.

“Today’s resource upgrade shows continued growth of the Browns Range asset base with the inclusion of two new deposits Cyclops and Banshee.

“Drilling at both deposits has been limited and like all of Browns Range’s deposits, they remain open, indicating the opportunity to further expand the Mineral Resource estimate and increase the project’s mine life.”

Email: info@northernminerals.com.au

Website: www.northernminerals.com.au

Encounter encouraged to continue drilling at Millennium

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Encounter Resources (ASX: ENR) announced recently conducted RC drilling has confirmed the presence of highly-elevated, end of hole zinc mineralisation at the Millennium prospect, located within the company’s the Yeneena project of Western Australia.

The millennium prospect sits 2.5 kilometres south-east, and along strike, of the BM2 prospect where Encounter discovered massive zinc sulphide mineralization in late 2013.

RC Drill Program Completed (EIS co-funded)

Encounter has just wrapped au its first ever RC drilling program at Millennium, in an area of limited previous exploration and extensive sand cover.

The primary aim of the initial RC drilling program was to test for near surface zinc anomalism at Millennium and was designed to test the top 150m from surface.

 

Interpreted drill cross section 390950mE – Millennium prospect. Source: Company announcement

 

“Results from the RC drilling were highly-encouraging and defined strong zinc-lead anomalism over a broad area, often extending to the bottom of hole,” Encounter Resources said in its ASX announcement.

“The results at Millennium are significantly higher than results from drill holes of similar depth at BM2 where the company reported the intersection of high-grade zinc sulphides (0.7m at 36.5 per cent zinc Dec 2013) below a broad zone of iron rich gossanous material.

“This strengthening of near surface zinc mineralisation supports the interpretation of the sub-basin margin being more proximal to the core of the system.

“The RC drilling has also extended the overall near surface footprint of the zinc system at BM2/Millennium to over three kilometres long, paralleling the Tabletop Fault.”

Results from the RC drilling at Millennium include:

EPT 2162
113 metres at 0.15 per cent zinc and 0.15 per cent lead from 32m to EOH, including 6m at 0.81 per cent zinc and 0.16 per cent lead from 102m;

EPT 2164A
49m at 0.35 per cent zinc and 0.08 per cent lead from 82 m to EOH; and

EPT 2184
31m at 0.4 per cent zinc from 84m to EOH, including 6m at 1.26 per cent zinc from 98m.

Following the encouraging RC results, Encounter has just kicked off a WA Government Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) co-funded 1,000m diamond drilling program at Millennium.

The two hole program will test for stratiform zinc-lead sulphide mineralisation adjacent to the interpreted shale-carbonate contact and for mineralisation hosted along this key mineralised contact.

Assay results from the diamond drilling are expected in December 2014.

Website: www.enrl.com.au