Azure Minerals hits further encouragement at Cascada

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Azure Minerals (ASX: AZS) has received more good news from recent drilling conducted at the company’s Promontorio copper-gold-silver project in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

The drilling has returned high-grade copper extensions to the Cascada deposit while gold was encountered from drilling near the Cascada copper-gold-silver deposit.

 

Cascada drill hole location plan. Source: Company announcement

 

Two drill holes have both intersected wide zones of gold mineralisation, averaging up to 1.5 grams per tonne gold over 150 metres.

Azure said assays it has received from the first drill hole targeting the porphyry body have confirmed the presence of porphyry-hosted, strongly anomalous copper mineralisation throughout the lower 200m to the end of the hole, up to a maximum of 5.4 per cent copper.

Highlights of the recent drill program include:

APR-DD-111: 17.7 metres at 8.3 per cent copper equivalent (CuEq) from 120m;

APR-DD-111: 13.5m at 5 per cent CuEq from 53m; and

APR-DD-110: 7.3m at 5 per cent CuEq from 167m.

Wide zones of gold-rich mineralisation were also intersected, including:

APR-DD-111: 150m at 1.5g/t gold from 42m;

APR-DD-110: 153m at 1.1g/t gold from 22m to end of hole.

Azure also carried out an IP survey, which identified further buried gold targets west of Cascada.

“We continue to be very pleased with the drill results from our exploration at Cascada and the surrounding areas,” Azure Minerals managing director Tony Rovira said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Intersecting 150 metres of 1.1 to 1.5 grams per tonne gold mineralisation doesn’t happen very often, and these intercepts indicate that Cascada may have potential to host a large gold deposit similar to the nearby Pinos Altos gold mine.

“In addition, the new intercepts of high-grade copper mineralisation continue to grow the central copper-gold-silver zone at Cascada.

“Drilling has yet to define the boundaries of the mineralisation to the north and west, and there continues to be potential for further expansions in these areas.

“Drilling of a copper-mineralised porphyry body containing many samples grading over one per cent copper is very exciting.

“To hit it with our first two holes augers well for further exploration success as our understanding of this large and complex system grows.”

While all this is happening, Rovira indicated the company also has new programs underway to further advance its Promontorio project.

“To further refine our exploration strategy and drill hole targeting, the company has commenced a detailed ground magnetics survey covering the project area, the metallurgical testwork program on the Cascada mineralisation is underway,” he said.

Email: admin@azureminerals.com.au

Website: www.azureminerals.com.au

Ord River updates Plutonic Resource

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Ord River Resources (ASX: ORD) has completed a review of the existing K2 resource model at the company’s Plutonic gold project in Western Australia.

The review involved remodelling the mineralisation envelopes at a higher cut-off grade in order to more accurately reflect a selective, underground, mining scenario.

According to the company the review has highlighted a high-grade resource beneath the existing K2 open pit as well as bulk, low-grade resources at K3 and K2SE.

 

K2 Main Lode block model and existing underground development. Source: Company announcement

 

A high-grade resource component has been identified beneath the existing K2 pit of 325,000 tonnes at 7.7 grams per tonne gold for 81,000 ounces of gold at a 3g/t cut off.

The review has enabled Ord river to revise bulk tonnage resources at the project to:

781,000 tonnes at 1.74g/t gold for 44,000 ounces of gold at 0.5g/t cut off at K3; and

1.6 million tonnes at 1.1g/t for 58,000 ounces of gold at 0.5g/t cut off at K2SE.

Ord River is confident the remodelled resources demonstrate a clear pathway to production utilising existing infrastructure.

The global resource for the Plutonic gold project now stands at 7.7 million tonnes at 3.13g/t gold for 778,000 ounces.

“The updated resource modelling of K2 will act to underpin Ord’s development plans for the Plutonic Dome gold project,” Ord River Resources managing director Frank Zhu said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

Ord River explained the resource is now divided into K2 (beneath the existing K2 open pit), K3 (north-west of the K2 pit) and the K2SE resource.

Previously K2, K2SE and K3 were grouped and reported as either open pit or underground resources.

The resource immediately beneath the existing K2 open pit will now be reported at a 3g/t cut off, as Ord said it believes the open pit cut back potential of the K2 pit is limited.

The K3 and K2SE resources will still be reported at a 0.5 g/t Au cut, although they will no longer be constrained within a conceptual pit shell to give a more complete representation of the total resource base.

Website: www.ord.com.au

Sheffield Resources identifies Fraser Range Ni-Cu-Co

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Sheffield Resources (ASX: SFX) has received results from a second phase of aircore drilling completed in December 2013 at the company’s Red Bull nickel-copper project in the Fraser Range Nickel Province of Western Australia.

Sheffield carried out the Phase 2 aircore drilling program to follow-up its Phase 1 program, which identified the Earlobe, Stud and Sleeper prospects.

 

Aircore drill plan showing contours of maximum nickel in hole and
selected intervals (>0.2 per cent nickel) at the Earlobe, Stud
Sleeper and Hook prospects. Source: Company announcement

 

Results from the Phase 2 drilling include:

Stud

4m at 0.31 per cent nickel, 0.11 per cent copper, 0.05 per cent cobalt, 7ppb lead, 5ppb platinum, 0.11 per cent chromium from 56m; (REAC401)

8m at 0.37 per cent nickel, 0.01 per cent copper, 0.01 per cent cobalt, 4.6ppb lead, 4.4ppb platinum, 0.18 per cent chromium from 47m; (REAC413)

8m at 0.30 per cent nickel, 0.03 per cent copper, 0.04 per cent cobalt, 5ppb lead, 10.5ppb platinum, 0.19 per cent chromium from 43m; (REAC407)

Earlobe

8m at 0.29 per cent nickel, 0.02 per cent copper, 0.02 per cent cobalt, 4ppb lead, 3.5ppb platinum, 0.19 per cent chromium from 36m. (REAC375)

Hook

2m at 0.25 per cent nickel, 0.07 per cent copper, 0.03 per cent cobalt, 34ppb lead, 25ppb platinum, 0.64 per cent chromium from 54m. (REAC458)

“The Stud nickel anomaly has emerged as a substantial target zone over 1.8 kilometres in length,” Sheffield Resources managing director Bruce McQuitty said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“We are encouraged by the higher copper values at Stud of up to 0.11 per cent, which may indicate proximity to a nickel-copper sulphide system.

“The new target at Hook is also significant, featuring elevated platinum group elements and chromium in addition to anomalous nickel-copper-cobalt.

“Hook has been tested by just one line of aircore drilling so far.

“With each successive phase of aircore drilling we are improving the resolution of our targets.

“Our next programme of work, scheduled for Q2 2014, will include a further phase of aircore drilling and ground geophysical surveys prior to deeper drilling of targets.”

Email: info@sheffieldresources.com.au

Website: www.sheffieldresources.com.au

Talga Resources review confirms Swedish copper

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Talga Resources (ASX: TLG) has completed a review of historic drill data from one of the company’s Swedish mineral projects.

Talga claims the review has confirmed the existence of a new copper-gold play in close proximity to Europe’s largest operating copper-gold mine, the 2,760 million tonnes at 0.17 per cent copper, 0.1 grams per tonne gold Aitik mine of Sweden-based Boliden.

This is the first review Talga has undertaken of its 100 per cent-owned copper-gold assets in the Kiruna mining district since acquiring the Swedish assets of Teck Resources 18 months ago.

The review digitised then analysed historic drill records and assay data that was previously only in hard copy.

 

Kiskama drillhole location map with selected significant
intercepts over greyscale aeromagnetic (TMI) image. Source: Company
announcement

 

Talga said it had revealed copper-gold grades over substantial widths at its Kiskama project in northern Sweden.

Shallow, wide intercepts of copper-gold were revealed including:

Hole 80004: from 20 metres depth 42m at 0.49 per cent copper, 0.07 grams per tonne gold, including 10m at 1.23 per cent copper, 0.16g/t gold from 45m;

Hole 77001: from 16m depth 21m at 1.02 per cent copper, 0.25g/t gold including 6m at 1.98 per cent copper, 0.54g/t gold from 16m;

Hole 77007: from 34m depth 66m at 0.41 per cent copper, including 7m at 1.24 per cent copper from 92m;

Hole 72004: from 66m depth 40m at 0.68 per cent copper, including 5m at 1.07 per cent copper from 70m and 11m at 1.51 per cent copper from 94m;

Hole 78016: from 8m depth 16m at 0.36 per cent copper, 0.45g/t gold including 6m at 0.75 per cent copper, 1.14g/t gold from 16m; and

Hole 77006: from 31m depth 39m at 0.62 per cent copper, 0.22g/t gold.

“As a company our primary development focus is our Swedish graphite deposits, however we were aware of the district’s high IOCG prospectivity and are pleased that these new findings confirm a substantial copper-gold system at our wholly owned Kiskama project,” Talga Resources managing director Mark Thompson said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Additionally, Talga’s work has revealed high potential for a much larger copper-gold deposit than previously recognised.

“The proximity of the deposit to road and rail links to nearby mines offers potential synergies for development and we note recent moves by other companies to take land positions adjacent to Talga’s Kiskama tenement.

“We believe these results will open up myriad potential opportunities to commercialise value from this IOCG deposit and Talga’s entire north Sweden portfolio.

“Talga is now better informed to accurately pursue divestment or joint venture opportunities for the Kiskama project.”

Email: admin@talgaresources.com

Website: www.talgaresources.com

Renaissance confirms shallow growth potential at Okvau

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Renaissance Minerals (ASX: RNS) has received the first results from a recently commenced drilling program conducted at the company’s Okvau gold project in Cambodia.

The drilling was undertaken to test for north-east strike extensions beyond the project’s current 1.2 million ounce Okvau resource estimate.

The recent program consisted six holes (four RC holes and two diamond drill holes), which were designed to following up on shallow RC holes the company had completed in a previous drilling program to the north-east of Okvau.

 

Drill collar plan over interpreted geology with existing Resource outline. Source: Company announcement

 

Results (of plus-10 gram metres) included:

6 metres at 9.49 grams per tonne gold from 9 metres; (RC13OKV213)

8m at 5.95g/t gold from 61m; (DD13OKV216)

2m at 5.32g/t gold from 102m; (DD14OKV217)

10m at 1.36g/t gold from 24m; and (DD14OKV217)

7m at 1.51g/t gold from 0m. (DD14OKV217)

“Already a very large gold resource estimate has been established at the Okvau deposit,” Renaissance Minerals managing director Justin Tremain said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“These latest drilling results are extremely encouraging and highlight the potential to continue to grow the deposit.

“Importantly, this growth potential comes from near surface mineralisation amenable to open pit mining.”

Email: admin@renaissanceminerals.com.au

Website: www.renaissanceminerals.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 begin exploration on their ground. Here’s a small selection of what’s been happening this week.

Monax commences Millers Creek gravity survey

Monax Mining (ASX: MOX) has commenced a detailed ground gravity survey at the Millers Creek designated project (DP).

The Millers Creek DP is a joint project with Monax’s strategic alliance partner, a wholly-owned subsidiary of major Chilean copper producer Antofagasta plc, via its wholly-owned subsidiary, Monax Alliance Pty Ltd.

The Millers Creek DP comprises three Alliance tenements together with four ASX-listed Maximus Resources (ASX: MXR) tenements located within the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA) totalling 3165 square kilometres in South Australia.

Alliance recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
Maximus for the Billa Kalina project.

Initial processing and review of the SA Government WPA gravity survey outlined up to seven areas of interest.

Further review has decreased the areas of interest to four with a total of six individual gravity targets identified.

Each gravity target has a coincident or near coincident magnetic anomaly.

The current gravity survey will comprise data collected on a detailed 250m by 250m grid directly over the targets with some areas of 500m by 500m around the more detailed survey areas.

Modelling of the data will commence immediately upon the completion of the gravity survey and receipt of the final data.

The modelling should take 1-2 weeks to complete.

Results will be presented to Antofagasta and any decision to drill will be made by the Monax:Antofagasta Technical Committee.

Rox returns to Fisher East

Rox Resources (ASX: RXL) has recommenced Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling at the company’s Fisher East nickel sulphide project, 500km north of Kalgoorlie in
Western Australia.

The new RC drilling program (12 holes for 2,400m) is designed to follow-up previously reported nickel sulphide mineralisation at two separate locations, along the strike of the Camelwood ultramafic unit.

Each mineralised zone, Cannonball and Musket, is over 200m in strike length, which Roxhas interpreted to indicate a southern strike continuation of mineralisation from
Camelwood where a mineral resource of 1.6 million tonnes at 2.2 per cent nickel has been defined.

Results from the drilling program are expected within 4 to 6 weeks.

“This new RC drilling will further delineate the extent of the mineralisation identified last year and test it at deeper levels prior to follow up diamond drilling,” Rox Resources managing director Ian Mulholland said.

“The two initial drilling targets will be Musket and Cannonball where mineralisation remains open at depth and largely unexplored.

“These targets form part of a potential new regional-scale mineral field at Fisher
East.

“In addition we will test a couple of more regional targets.”

Predictive begins new drilling program at Bongou

Predictive Discovery (ASX: PDI) is set to commence a 2,000m diamond drilling program to follow up previous drill results at the company’s Bongou discovery in Burkina Faso.

Drilling will test for extensions to Bongou gold mineralised granite at depth and along strike.

Predictive will also carry out trenching to follow up a newly-identified Bongou-like mineralised zone, situated 500 metres north-west of the Bongou deposit.

Other activites will include a geophysical survey along strike to test for more concealed granite bodies and metallurgical testwork, which is scheduled to commence in March.

Predictive is fully-funded to carry-out the drilling program following a recent $1.1 million raising.

“The strength of the gold mineralised system at Bongou is indicated by a consistent combination of large widths, excellent continuity and high gold grades,” Predictive Discovery managing director Paul Roberts said.
 
“The mineralisation is open to depth and, most importantly, along strike, and preliminary metallurgical results have been excellent.

“We believe that a substantial gold deposit at Bongou with a large high-grade component is becoming increasingly clear.

“Our immediate task is to expand the potential volume of high-grade gold mineralisation and identify new deposits of the same type along strike.

“This program is designed to address both these objectives as cost effectively as possible.”

Carpentaria Exploration increases Advene potential

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Carpentaria Exploration (ASX: CAP) has received results from a recently-completed geochemical soil survey covering the greater Josephine Moulder (JM) prospect area at the company’s 100 per cent-owned Advene project northwest of Wagga Wagga in central New South Wales.
 
Carpentaria claims to have identified a new gold anomaly at the western edge of the survey area that includes high levels of gold in soil concentrations.

The company also claimed it to be the largest discrete soil anomaly it has seen at the project so far.

 

Josephine Moulder prospect area gold in soil results. Source: Company announcement

 

The new zone, just west of the JM main lode, returned a high peak of 1.5 grams per tonne gold and 2.5g/t silver within a 650m by 60m grid.

A further 50ppb anomaly was also identified open to the north and west. The best results cover a width of 150m.
 
Carpentaria said it was encouraged by the results saying they suggest mineralisation outside the known workings has the potential to be the most significant in the area, boosting the potential and prospectivity of the project.

The company will commence a power auger infill and extension sampling program this week to fully assess the anomaly with full results expected within two to three months.

“Exploration continues to return very encouraging results from Advene, increasing the gold footprint at each stage in this largely unexplored project area,” Carpentaria Resources managing director Quentin Hill said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“The significance of the high grade results in the new zone can’t be fully determined until follow up work is completed.

“When that phase of sampling is complete we hope to have a coherent picture of where the best gold potential is in the greater JM area, including to the immediate north and west.

“This will inform the design of a follow up deeper drilling program”

The soil sampling was completed on a nominal 100m by 20m grid over the known
JM and JM East lodes and their along strike extensions.

The survey was also designed to test for additional parallel lode structures to the east and west of known mineralisation.

Gold in soil anomalism was also returned over the known JM main lode structure and JM east lode.

At JM main lode a 250m by 40m, plus 50ppb gold anomaly was defined with a maximum of 350ppb gold confirming earlier rock chip data.

Email: info@capex.net.au

Website: www.capex.net.au

Arunta Resources identifies tungsten at Hatches Creek

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Arunta Resources Limited (ASX: AJR) has received results of a recently sampling program undertaken at the company’s Hatches Creek tungsten project, located north-east of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

According to Arunta the sampling has confirmed the presence of high-grade material located within and adjacent to areas that were subjected to historic mining activity.

 

Prospect location map. Source: Company announcement

 

Results of the first round metallurgical test work completed on bulk and grab samples of mullock, eluvial and alluvial material and selected lode material collected at Hatches Creek include:

An average grade of 0.73 per cent tungsten from samples taken from historical mine waste dumps, with individual samples grading up to 1.385 per cent tungsten and 1.034 per cent tungsten;

An average grade of 13.41 per cent tungsten from selected rock chips from lode (quartz) in dumps, with individual samples grading up to 38.357 per cent tungsten; and

Eluvial samples from The Black and Green Diamond groups returned the highest and most consistent results averaging 0.11 per cent tungsten per tonne with a peak value of 0.45 per cent tungsten per tonne.

“Hatches Creek was a very rich, high-grade tungsten mine which produced tungsten concentrates worth around $100 million at today’s prices, and may well have been one of the highest grade tungsten mines in the Western World,” Arunta Resources executive chairman Neil Biddle said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Our recent site visit has confirmed that a significant amount of high-grade material remains in mine waste dumps, mullock dumps and alluvial and eluvial deposits on site, with significant potential to delineate deeper material with drilling.

“This is a very encouraging development and provides us with an exciting opportunity to fast-track the Hatches Creek project to take advantage of the current strong market and outlook for tungsten concentrates.

“We intend to move ahead immediately with the next phase of activity at Hatches Creek, which includes metallurgical testwork and further field work to confirm the extent of the material available on site to support a potential near-term production start-up.”

Email: info@aruntaresources.com.au

Website: www.aruntaresources.com.au

Musgrave Minerals hits big silver numbers at Menninnie Dam

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Musgrave Minerals (ASX: MGV) has intersected high-grade silver mineralisation at the new Frakes target on the company’s Menninnie Dam project in the southern Gawler Craton region of South Australia.

The company recently completed near surface aircore and slimline reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the Frakes prospect, which returned results of:

10 metres at 990 grams per tonne silver, 0.3 grams per tonne gold, 0.4 per cent lead, 0.3 per cent zinc and 0.2 per cent copper from 43m down hole, including 2m at 3,942g/t silver, 1.0g/t gold, 0.7 per cent lead, 0.8 per cent zinc and 0.9 per cent copper from 44m down hole in MDAC375.

 

Location of Menninnie Dam prospects with drill hole collars and
significant recent aircore drilling assay results on silver geochemical
and landsat image. Source: Company announcement

 

Musgrave labelled these results from Frakes to be significant saying it considers they indicate upside potential for further mineralisation along strike to both the north and south may exist.

The company said magnetic interpretation suggests the mineralisation may be structurally controlled.

The Frakes surface geochemical silver anomaly is more than 1.5 kilometres wide with numerous structures present in the Frakes area, many of which have not yet been drill tested.

“This is a completely new target, never before drilled, making this a fantastic result which continues to validate our targeting methodology,” Musgrave Minerals managing director Rob Waugh said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“The high-grade mineralisation intersected at Frakes is extremely encouraging and is open along strike and down dip.

“The other positives from Frakes are the high gold and copper values which suggest we could have multiple mineralizing events in a well preserved epithermal field.

“Follow up drilling at Frakes and Spare Rib is a priority to determine the extent and grade of the mineralisation along strike and in fresh rock below these intersections and to continue to test parallel structures and targets in the area.

“We expect to commence follow up drilling as soon as possible.”

Further drilling has identified additional lead and zinc mineralisation at Spare Rib, located 7km northeast of Frakes and less than 2km east of Musgrave’s Menninnie Central and Viper deposits.

These include:

10m at 0.7 per cent zinc, 0.3 per cent lead from 21m down hole in MDAC319; and

6m at 0.4 per cent zinc, 0.2 per cent lead from 21m and 8m at 0.5 per cent zinc, 0.3 per cent lead from 36m down hole in MDAC320.

Musgrave Minerals is in a healthy financial position to successfully follow-up these results identified at Frakes and at Spare Rib with $7.4 million currently sitting in the bank.

Musgrave Minerals has entered into a Joint Venture Agreement with Menninnie Metals, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Terramin Australia Limited (ASX: TZN) to earn a 51 per cent interest in the Menninnie Dam project in the first stage, and up to a 75 per cent interest thereafter.

Email: info@musgraveminerals.com.au

Website: www.musgraveminerals.com.au

Papillon Resources drills further Fekola confidence

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Papillon Resources (ASX: PIR) has received the results from drilling carried out towards the end of 2013 at the company’s Fekola project in south western Mali.

During the last two months of 2013, Papillon completed 26 reverse circulation (RC) holes focusing on near surface extensions of previously identified mineralised intersections and testing an interpreted extension of the Fekola Corridor.

The best results received in the near surface lithology included:

9 metres at 2.34 grams per tonne gold; and

4m at 4.11g/t gold.

Papillon indicated both intersections were located close to the planned Fekola pit on a mineralised trend less than two kilometres due west of the current 5.15 million ounce Fekola Mineral Resource Estimate.

 

Clockwise from top left. a) RC drilling at Fekola project, b) RC
sample splitting and sample preparation, c) geotechnical logging and
skiils training of staff on getotechnical diamond hole logging, d)
diamond core farm Fekola camp. Source: Company announcement

 

The company explained its 2014 exploration program aims to grow the resource base around Fekola with the main focus being to delineate new shallow open pittable resources.

“Although already of meaningful size, the Fekola project and broader Fekola Corridor still have exceptional growth potential,” Papillon Resources managing director and CEO Mark Connelly said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“These results continue to show the extensive gold distribution throughout the project area and have the potential to immediately add low cost ounces to the project.

“In addition, the Fekola deposit, which currently hosts 5.15 million ounces of gold in a single, large, open pit, is still open at depth and has the potential to offer further extensions – including underground extensions with deeper drilling – to the current 12 year mine life of the project.”

Papillion is confident of being granted a Mining Licence over the Fekola project and has adjusted the focus of its drilling contractors during January and February 2014 to concentrate on completing a number of geotechnical holes within the planned pit area, along with sterilisation drilling under nearby planned infrastructure.

Once the geotechnical and sterilisation programs have been completed it will shift back along the Fekola Corridor to test priority targets.

Email: info@papillonresources.com

Website: www.papillonresources.com