Just a day after completing the acquisition of the high-grade Tillex Copper-Silver Project in Canada, Aruma Resources Ltd (ASX:AAJ) is set to start its maiden field season at the project in Ontario’s Tier-1 Timmins mining district, targeting extensions to an already substantial high-grade copper system.
The Tillex Project is a drill-defined copper sulphide asset with a 450-metre strike extent and a history of wide, high-grade intersections from more than 10,284m of diamond drilling completed by previous owners.
Map showing the currently drill-defined portion of the Tillex Project.
Read more: Aruma completes acquisition of high-grade Tillex copper-silver project in Canada
Exploration is scheduled to begin this month and will start with an extensive electromagnetic (EM) geophysical survey. The survey is designed to test strike extensions of the known copper deposit and assess prospective parallel structures to a depth of about 400 metres below surface — well beneath the current drilling depth of roughly 150 metres.
Targets generated and refined through the EM survey will then be tested in a first-phase diamond drilling program comprising around seven holes for approximately 1,100 metres.
Map of area to be covered by EM survey, plus existing drill-defined area (see Figure 1 for detailed map) and target area of planned maiden drill program, all overlaid on 2008 ground magnetic survey imagery.
The combined program is aimed at reaffirming the existing high-grade mineralised zone and significantly expanding the project’s high-grade footprint both along strike and at depth. Drill core from the upcoming campaign will also be used for initial metallurgical testwork, with early assessments indicating the mineralisation contains low deleterious elements and may be amenable to conventional grind-and-flotation processing.
Importantly, Tillex sits on patented claims, giving Aruma full land and mineral rights with no requirement for third-party landowner approvals for exploration activities.
“Having announced the acquisition last month, we have moved quickly to launch the first phase of field work at the Tillex Copper Project. Re-interpretation of existing geophysical survey data, soil sampling data and drilling data along with re-logging of existing core is already underway," AAJ managing director Grant Ferguson said.
"An expansive EM survey is planned to commence to define and refine drill targets. It will target areas along strike beyond the existing drill-defined area, and also at depth below the current drilling, to around 400m. The EM survey results will help inform the company’s targeting for its maiden drilling program, to commence upon completion of the EM survey. Drilling will be a diamond core program, and new core from the drilling will also be used for a first phase of metallurgical test work."
Wide, high-grade copper and silver intersections define 450m strike
Tillex is already substantially drill-defined over a 450-metre strike length, characterised by numerous wide zones of high-grade copper and silver mineralisation.
Among the standout historical results is 110 metres at 1.69% copper and 7.05 grams per tonne (g/t) silver from 34 metres in hole TX24-020, including 28.7 2 metres at 2.35% copper and 9.52g/t silver from 55 metres and 29 metres at 2.64% copper and 12.31g/t silver from 100 metres.
Hole TX25-034 returned 98.2 metres at 1.82% copper and 13.17g/t silver from 35.8 metres, while TX24-022 intersected 92.05 metres at 2.12% copper and 12.18g/t silver from 36.95 metres, including 29 metres at 3.26% copper and 20.92g/t silver from 98 metres.
Other notable intersections include:
- 84.13m at 1.78% copper and 8.39g/t silver from 40m (TX08-004), including 29m at 2.59% copper and 7.37g/t silver from 51m;
- 63.9m at 1.94% copper and 10.20g/t silver from 38.6m (TX24-021), including 17.9m at 2.96% copper and 17.43g/t silver from 83.6m;
- 42.46m at 2.12% copper and 53.45g/t silver from 53.77m (TX11-008), including a high-grade interval of 5m at 5.55% copper and 355.30g/t silver from 89m; and
- 39.2m at 1.91% copper and 3.98g/t silver from 31.8m (TX25-031), including 19.2m at 3.39% copper and 5.64g/t silver from 31.8m.
The 5 metres at 355.30g/t silver from 89 metres in hole TX11-008 highlights the presence of significant high-grade silver zones within the broader copper system.
"With an existing high-grade, drill-defined area extending across 450m, we are focused on rapidly expanding this mineralised footprint along strike and at depth, and also pursuing prospective parallel structures, with the aim of increasing the size and scale of the deposit and adding significant value,” Ferguson said.
With exploration set to resume under Aruma’s ownership, the upcoming field season will test whether the wide, high-grade mineralisation defined to date extends further along strike and at depth within one of Canada’s premier mining districts.