Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to work we go
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 to start at Fisher East
Rox Resources (ASX: RXL) is preparing a number of new work programs for the company’s Fisher East nickel project in Western Australia.
The programs will take place in the first half of 2015 and are aimed at:
Expanding the known 3.6 million tonnes at 2 per cent nickel sulphide resources at Fisher East, specifically at Musket, Musket North and Cannonball;
Aircore drilling at the Cutlass prospect;
Undertaking VTEM and airborne magnetics surveys over the new Option ground south of the Cutlass prospect, with follow-up aircore drilling; and
Initiating the permitting process for a mining licence by commencing baseline environmental studies.
“The Scoping Study indicates that the project is low risk and financially robust, so we’re proceeding with expanding the resource base to add further value to the project,” Rox Resources managing director Ian Mulholland said.
“This will provide us with more options to select high grade ore for mining and processing early in the mine life.”
Drilling underway at Collerina
Helix Resources (ASX: HLX) has commenced a reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the Collerina prospect in Central New South Wales.
The six-hole, 1000m RC drilling program is designed to test targets derived from recently completed DHEM surveys.
The target zone lies within a VMS system Helix identified with initial drilling late last year.
This initial program was broad spaced drilling and identified an open‐ended 350 metres of strike containing copper, zinc, silver and gold mineralisation returning better than one per cent copper results.
Off‐hole DHEM conductors were recently modelled down dip/plunge from previous drilling that returned:
14m at 4 per cent copper within 29m at 2.2 per cent copper from 80m.
This part of the mineral system was not tested by the previous drilling.
Drilling campaign underway at Banfora Gold Project
AusQuest Limited (ASX: AQD) announced exploration activities, including plans to drill up to 39,000 metres of Reverse Circulation (RC) and 150,000m of shallow auger drilling during 2015, have commenced at the company’s Banfora Gold Joint Venture project in Burkina Faso, West Africa.
AusQuest has been advised of the exploration program by its joint venture partner, Ressources Burkinor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TSX-listed SEMAFO Inc.
The program is being managed by Burkinor and is planned to continue throughout the year.
“The company is very pleased to see such a significant expenditure commitment being made by Burkinor to the Banfora gold joint venture areas during 2015,” AusQuest managing director Graeme Drew said.
“This will give AusQuest exposure to a substantial West African gold exploration venture with the potential to deliver strong news flow and great discovery potential – building on the work that has been done in Burkina Faso over the past few years.”
Pit Design and Aquifer Drilling
TNG Limited (ASX: TNG) has commenced geotechnical drilling at the company’s Mount Peake vanadium-titanium-iron project in the Northern Territory.
The work is part of mining studies being conducted and overseen by Snowden Mining Industry Consultants, which will facilitate the completion of the Mount Peake Feasibility Study by the middle of 2015.
The program will comprise six diamond drill holes, and will be conducted over the next several weeks.
Immediately following this, TNG will carry out a water drilling program in the broader Mount Peake area to locate a suitable source of water for the mining operation, camp supply and magnetite processing plant.
This is an important component of the Feasibility Study, which will allow the study to be delivered by mid-year.
“We are now in the final stages of completing the Mount Peake Feasibility Study,” TNG Limited managing director Paul Burton said.
“With the geotechnical and aquifer drilling underway, we are steadily ticking all the boxes towards completion with the information flowing from this drilling representing a critical input into our mining plans and conversion of resources to Ore Reserves.”