Encounter meets copper mineralisation

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Perth-based mineral exploration company Encounter Resources has received encouraging assay results from the mineralised intersection from a diamond drill hole at the BM1 prospect at the Yeneena project.

The company reported via an ASX announcement in June the drillhole had intersected strong copper mineralisation over a 10 metre interval commencing from 32 metres downhole.

The assay results from this intersection have returned 10.1 metres at 6.8 per cent copper from 31.9m, including an interval of 2.8m at 12.3% copper and 156 grams per tonne silver.

The mineralised system at BM1 has previously demonstrated the capacity to generate high grade, near surface copper mineralisation and this latest intersection represents the highest grade copper assay achieved to date at BM1.

“A 70 centimetre zone of black shale from 34 metres returned an assay result of 28.8 per cent copper and 178 grams per tonne silver,” Encounter Resources said in its ASX announcement.

“Based on grades and visual identification it is interpreted that the dominant copper mineral in this zone is chalcocite.

“Chalcocite is a supergene copper sulphide mineral which may represent the direct weathering of primary copper sulphide mineralisation.”

Encounter currently has a systematic program of north-south RC drill traverses to a depth of 120m in progress to determine the orientation and extent of the mineralised horizon intersected in the most recent drillhole.

Initial holes from this program indicate a north-west orientation to the copper mineralisation, which is similar to the orientation of the steep structural fabric noted within the diamond drill core.

The RC program is expected to take approximately 3-4 weeks to complete and the company expects first assay results from this program in July 2011.

This program of RC drilling will be followed by further diamond drilling to test the prospective horizon and key structures below the depth of the RC drilling.