Fe Limited (ASX:FEL) is eagerly awaiting results after completing phase I drilling of copper targets at the Hillside earn-in project in WA’s Pilbara region.
All 36 holes were successfully completed for a total of 1,798 metres with the program following-up an 18.8% copper result from sampling of the outcropping gossan.
The drilling crew and equipment have been demobilised from the site and samples are being collected and freighted to Perth.
Results expected in January
These samples will be delivered directly to the ALS lab facility for sample preparation and assay.
Fe Limited expects to receive results in early January 2020.
Drilling tested potential supergene and hypogene mineralisation above and below the water table along the majority of the gossan line at Hillside.
A small number of holes also tested outcropping gold mineralised quartz veins identified through prospecting activity.
Earn-in with Macarthur
The company has entered into an earn-in agreement with Macarthur Minerals Limited (CVE:MMS) in respect of 18 tenements in the Pilbara ranging from south of Nullagine to north of Pilgangoora and including Hillside.
Outcrop sampling of Hillside Gossan over a 14-kilometre strike in early September returned very high copper grades along with high-grade gold, silver and zinc values along with some cobalt.
“Very exciting” sampling results
Fifteen of the samples gathered were from outcropping gossan both with and without visible copper minerals with eight returning copper values over 1%.
The 18.8% copper sample also returned 1.2ppm gold, 77ppm silver, 0.17% zinc and 0.057% cobalt.
These results which chairman Tony Sage said were “very exciting” prompted FEL to fast-track drilling of the project.
Sampling from a new sub-parallel outcrop to the gossan line returned a surprising 59.4% manganese oxide result, which is equivalent to greater than 46% manganese.
This result is in excess of the 31.4% grade of Consolidated Minerals’ nearby Woodie Woodie mine.