Emmerson Resources Limited (ASX:ERM) has extended near-surface copper and gold mineralisation 4-kilometres south of the Whatling Hill prospect within its wider Fifield project in NSW.
The company undertook a grid-based aircore sampling program which has extended the project’s copper-gold anomalism to a length of 5-kilometres and width of more than 1-kilometre.
Rock chip values of up to 2% copper and 0.25 g/t gold in quartz stockwork veins within altered monzonite intrusives suggest nearby porphyry copper-gold mineralisation.
Emmerson will begin a regional induced polarisation (IP) geophysical survey next month to collect subsurface information ahead of selecting drill targets.
Emmerson managing director Rob Bills said the expanded soil geochemical program now indicated the additional potential for copper-gold mineralisation south of the previously surveyed area.
He said: “This geochemistry is consistent with elevated copper and gold from rock chip samples taken from a sparse outcrop in the region.
“Based on the encouraging early-stage results at both Whatling Hill and nearby Kadungle, Emmerson has consolidated its ground position to take account of possible multiple centres of porphyry copper-gold mineralisation occurring within the Macquarie arc and Lachlan transverse zone.
“Our field-based exploration has been complemented by cutting-edge science which has included analysis of the alteration (trace and rare earth elements within the outer green rock or epidote/chlorite zone) where initial findings suggest we are within the geochemical footprint of a porphyry system.”
READ: Emmerson Resources lines up two drill rigs to drill 5,000 metres
The geological structures at Whatling Hill consist of host Ordovician raggat volcanics and related intrusives truncated by Devonian Gobondery granite to the west and by overlying Silurian conglomerates to the east.
This provides a “window” of prospective metal-fertile Ordovician rocks that likely extend undercover to the east where Emmerson has expanded its position to include the greater Kadungle project.
Trace element analyses of epidote from recent aircore drilling have reinforced conclusions that the belt Whatling Hill straddles is prospective for porphyry copper-gold and epithermal gold-silver mineralisation, determined through the ARC Linkage Project with the University of Tasmania.
Bills added: “Age-dating of the monzonite intrusion within the Raggatt Volcanics yielded a late Ordovician to early Silurian age – consistent with dates of the mineralised intrusions of the world-class North Parkes and Cadia-Ridgeway gold-copper deposits (work completed as part of the University of Tasmania CODES ARC Linkage project).
“Obviously, a discovery across any of our NSW projects would be transformational for the company – particularly given the paucity of new copper-gold projects and the competition for new resources.”
READ: Emmerson Resources finds widespread alteration with copper-gold potential at Whatling Hill
Emmerson is exploring new copper-gold projects in NSW, identified from the application of 2D and 3D targeting models which are aimed at increasing the probability of discovery.
The prospective Macquarie arc in NSW hosts more than 80 million ounces of gold and 13 million tonnes of copper.
Emmerson’s five exploration projects contain many attributes of the known deposits but remain underexplored due to historical impediments including the overlying cover and a lack of exploration focus.