Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX:AIS) has completed the construction of its water pipeline on schedule and is now delivering water to the Tritton Copper Operations near the town of Nyngan in central New South Wales.
The Tritton water pipeline of about 20 kilometres, which was completed in mid-January, is now commissioned with first water delivered from the Nyngan-Cobar pipeline to the Tritton holding dam.
Chairman Andre Labuschagne said, “The delivery of water to Tritton through the new pipeline is a significant achievement and secures access to Tritton’s water allocation from WaterNSW.
“This has been a complex project involving many stakeholders and a short timeframe, to have completed this project on-time is a credit not only to the Tritton team but to all the other stakeholders who have worked with us to make this happen.
“We are particularly appreciative of the co-operation and support from the NSW Government, WaterNSW, the Cobar Water Board and the Nyngan Shire Council.”
The first delivery of water to holding dam
Bedrock EM conductor identified
In December 2018, an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey was flown, covering 617 square kilometres over the northern half of the company's tenement package.
This survey utilised the SKYTEMTM 312 airborne EM system and was designed and optimised to test for deep conductive bodies.
It identified 25 new anomalies and confirmed the company’s view that there is significant potential to discover additional copper sulphide deposits in the northern half of the Tritton tenement package.
As a follow-up, ground-based moving loop electromagnetic (MLTEM) surveying has recently been undertaken designed to confirm whether the AEM detected anomalies are legitimate bedrock conductor(s).
Preliminary results have identified the presence of a bedrock conductor.
The modelled body is positioned about 150 metres below the surface and the conductive plate is interpreted to extend beyond the northern boundary of the company’s exploration tenement.
Targeting strike extensions at Murrawombie
At the Murrawombie deposit, underground drilling continues to test the periphery of the main mineralised body.
Drilling has recently shifted from targeting strike extensions to testing down plunge targets beneath the indicated mineral resource.
In total, 26 drill holes were completed during the December 2019 quarter with a majority intersecting sulphide mineralisation.
Multiple sulphide lodes were intersected, including the down-plunge extensions to the main mineralised system.
Mineralisation was also intersected further in the hanging wall.
Potential to increase resource
While assays are pending for the majority of the holes, results received to date include 1.40 metres at 4.96% copper and 2.65 metres at 2.26% copper.
This discovery highlights the prospectivity of the field and the potential to increase the mineral resource base from near-mine exploration.
Geological interpretation of the hangingwall mineralisation has begun.
Encouraging downhole EM at the Caribou prospect has extended the modelled plate.