Arafura Resources Limited (ASX:ARU) has delineated tungsten grades of up to 0.61% as well as high-grade copper in drill samples from the Samarkand prospect at its Bonya Tungsten Project in the Northern Territory, using portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) determination.
The drilling program comprised 2,184 metres of by reverse circulation drilling on the Samarkand, Jericho, White Violet and Tashkent deposits, as well as about 200 metres of trench sampling across each of the Marrakesh and Tashkent deposits.
Bonya is 60% owned by Arafura and is held in a joint venture with Thor Mining PLC (ASX:THR), with both parties contributing to the cost of the program in proportion to their project equity.
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Thor’s chairman Mick Billing said: “More very good XRF tungsten results along with exciting copper readings from the Samarkand deposit at Bonya.
“The proposed Moyhil processing facility is designed to extract copper as well as tungsten and molybdenum, so any primary copper at Bonya can be extracted at minimal additional cost.
“We look forward to the full laboratory assays from this drill program, along with results from the costean sampling from Marrakech and Tashkent, all expected during May.”
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Tungsten highlights from the Samarkand drilling include:
15 metres at 0.44% tungsten from 19 metres;
8 metres at 0.36% from 38 metres; and
11 metres at 0.61% tungsten from 64 metres, including 2 metres at 0.21% copper from 69 metres.
Notable copper assays include:
5 metres at 0.51% copper from 9 metres, including 2 metres at 0.22% tungsten;
12 metres at 0.69% from 22 metres; and
6 metres at 0.97% from 38 metres.