Sheffield Resources scores high-grade HM at Thunderbird

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Sheffield Resources (ASX: SFX) has received further results from drilling undertaken at the Thunderbird heavy mineral sand (HMS) deposit, located within the company’s Dampier HMS project near Derby in the Canning Basin region of Western Australia.

The results are the second batch of assay results to be reported from Sheffield’s 2013 aircore drilling program and have returned thick, high grade intervals, which the company considers to have confirmed the grade continuity of the deposit.

The results relate to 77 infill drill holes and include:

–    40.5 metres at 9.3 per cent heavy minerals (HM) from 1.5 metres, including 22.5 metres at 13.3 per cent HM from 1.5 metres;

–    55.5m at 10 per cent HM from 30m, including 49.5m at 11 per cent HM from 30m;

–    42m at 8.61 per cent HM from 9.5m, including 33m at 10.2 per cent HM from 18.5m;

–    36m at 8.19 per cent HM from 15m, including 24m at 10.9 per cent HM from 16.5m; and

–    63m at 7.41 per cent HM from 18m, including 46.5m at 8.96 per cent HM from 28.5m.

Sheffield said the results underscored the continuity of both the mineralised sequence and the high-grade zones at Thunderbird and that a better understanding of the geometry of the anomaly’s high-grade zone was emerging from these results.

 

Section looking northwest showing the continuity between holes of
the mineralised envelope (>2% HM), and the higher grade zones (>5%
and >7.5% HM). Source: Company announcement
“The infill drilling has outlined a coherent zone of mineralisation above 7.5 per cent HM, which in current results is about 2.5 kilometres wide, four kilometres long and expected to grow as results are returned from the remaining drill holes,” Sheffield Resources managing director Bruce McQuitty said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Within this zone is a broad high-grade lobe up to 39 metres thick, orientated in a north south direction.

“We are still awaiting results for many holes drilled within this interpreted channel.

“In addition, the assay results still to be received include samples from extensional drilling to the deposit.

“Following receipt of these assays in the coming weeks, the significance of this discovery will become clearer.

“Once all results are received we will finalise the resource update, followed by a scoping study scheduled for Quarter one, 2014.”

Sheffield’s 2013 drilling program at Dampier comprised 326 holes for a total of 21,747m at the Thunderbird and Argo prospects.

First pass drilling carried out first on the Argo prospect, located 12km to the west of Thunderbird returned HM results similar in tenor to those previously obtained by
Rio Tinto.

The drilling achieved results of greater than 2 per cent HM from four holes:

–    19.5m at 3.69 per cent HM from 84m, and 4.5m at 2.52 per cent HM from 69m;

–    27m at 2.35 per cent HM from 49.5m;

–    18m at 2.46 per cent HM from 55.5m; and

–    7.5m at 2.80 per cent HM from 52.5m.

Sheffield indicated it intends to conduct mineral assemblage testwork from the drilling to determine the zircon content of the Argo mineralisation.

Future exploration will attempt to track the mineralisation closer to surface and will target higher grade strandline targets.

Email:
bmcquitty@sheffieldresources.com.au

Website:
www.sheffieldresources.com.au