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 zinc-silver copper-gold targets at Menninnie Dam
Musgrave Minerals (ASX: MGV) has commenced a drilling program to test three base metal targets at the Menninnie Dam project in the southern Gawler Craton region of South Australia.
The drilling program will test both zinc-lead-silver and copper-gold targets at Erebus, Mallee and Taal.
A minimum of 1500m of drilling is planned over at least three targets using a combination of reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling.
“The targets all look very prospective and each is of large enough extent to potentially host significant volumes of mineralisation,” Musgrave Minerals managing director Rob Waugh said.
“All the datasets align well to support the mineralisation model and the targets.”
Drilling to commence on Rio Grande phosphate project
Aguia Resources (ASX: AGR) has commenced diamond and reverse circulation (“RC”) drilling at the Três Estradas South tenement located within the Rio Grande phosphate project in southern Brazil.
The program will include approximately 3,000m of diamond and 1,000m of RC drilling, and is designed to expand the existing Três Estradas resource, located within the Três Estradas tenement.
RC drilling is expected to take one month to complete, with diamond drilling expected to be completed in three months.
Drilling to commence at Montepuez project
Metals of Africa (ASX: MTA) is to commence the maiden drill program at the company’s Montepuez project in the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique in East Africa.
Drilling is anticipated to run for approximately six weeks.
Two drill rigs, both track mounted diamond (core) rigs will be utilised to simultaneously drill the project and will aim to complete approximately 2000m of drilling prior to Christmas.
The actual number of holes and the total metres drilled in the program will depend on the geology intersected in each hole, however it is anticipated that approximately 20 holes will be drilled for 2000m.
“We are eager to be embarking on this round of drilling with the aim of defining a maiden resource at our 100 per cent-owned Montepuez project,” Metals of Africa managing director Cherie Leeden said.
“There is more graphite contained within this small province than the rest of the world’s resources combined, it’s an extremely rich and unique corridor of geology and our projects are very well positioned within it.”
The company’s Rio Mazoe drill program will also commence after a slight delay due to the need to re-locate a water source for the drill rig.
Drilling at JOGMEC JV
Minotaur Exploration (ASX: MEP) advised drilling has commenced on the JOGMEC JV project, north of Cloncurry in Queensland.
A recent project review, in cooperation with JOGMEC (Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, 52%; MEP 48% and diluting) expanded the program to seven drill holes at six prospects across the JV tenements.
JOGMEC is funding the work and elected to again increase the original $800,000 budget through to end March 2015, to $1.252 million.
The drill campaign will test a range of geophysical targets generated by a ground geophysical program comprising gravity, ground magnetics, ground EM and DHEM surveys.
Commencement of drilling at Bunawan
RTG Mining (ASX: RTG) has commenced diamond drilling on EP-033-XIII at the company’s Bunawan project in the Philippines.
An initial program of diamond drilling has been planned on the EP in the Rosario area in Agusan del Sur, Mindanao.
Drilling has started with one diamond drill rig, with a second rig scheduled to start soon.
The drill program has been designed to target areas where previous site investigation programs, including detailed mapping, rock chip sampling, a ground magnetic survey and stream sediment sampling have identified several prospective areas and walk up drill targets including Mahunoc, Imbudo and Balelen.