Ventnor makes high-grade copper discovery

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Ventnor Resources has claimed the discovery of a significant high-grade zone of strong bornite copper mineralisation at the company’s Thaduna/Green Dragon copper project.

The Thaduna/Green Dragon project is located north of Meekatharra, Western Australia, in the Doolgunna district, 40 kilometres east of the DeGrussa project of Sandfire Resources.

High-grade intersections from the drilling results include:

5 metres at 7.00 per cent copper, including 2.7 metres at 11.72 per cent copper and 29.7 grams per tonne silver at a 5 per cent copper cutoff;

–    9.5m at 4.40 per cent copper;

–    10m at 3.26 per cent copper;

–    4.6m at 5.83 per cent copper;

–    2.5m at 7.36 per cent copper;

–    13m at 3.57 per cent copper;

–    5m at 4.94 per cent copper;

–    6m at 4.78 per cent copper;

–    10m at 3.28 per cent copper; and

–    3m at 4.47 per cent copper.

Ventnor Resources managing director Bruce Maluish said this new high-grade discovery of strong bornite mineralisation as the primary sulphide at the project had resulted in higher copper grades.

 

High grade shoot at depth where strong bornite mineralisation is
reflected in high grade assay results. Source: Company announcement

“The significance of the increasing presence of primary bornite, compared to primary chalcopyrite, lies in the increase in relative copper by weight percentage,” Maluish explained in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Chalcopyrite is 34.6 per cent copper compared with Bornite, which is 63.3 per cent copper, an increase of 183 per cent in copper for the same mass of sulphide.”

“The high-grades intersected continue to increase the company’s confidence in this quality copper project.”
 
To date, Ventnor has drilled 177 RC holes for 25,144m with 29 Diamond Tails for 3,758m, totaling 28,902m at Thaduna over four phases of drilling that it commenced in April 2011.

The company has completed a series of deeper holes at Thaduna covering the central portion of the identified mineralisation.

According to the company these holes have identified a change in the sulphide mineralogy with primary bornite becoming the dominant source of copper mineralisation.

Copper sulphide mineralogy intersected prior to this had been either primary chalcopyrite or secondary chalcocite with specks of bornite observed.

Ventnor explained that Thaduna and Green Dragon are low sulphur mineralising systems, which it said was evidenced by the lack of iron sulphides such as pyrite or pyrrhotite.

A change to the primary copper sulphide mineralisation from chalcopyrite to bornite results in an increase in the copper tenor of the mineralisation.

A further 6 drill holes have been drilled in the central zone with analyses pending.

The company said it anticipates a JORC compliant Resource estimate based on the drilling to the end of Phase 4 to be completed by September 2012.