Eclipse Metals Ltd (ASX:EPM) has scheduled a detailed ground magnetometer to be completed ahead of stage two drilling at the Amamoor Manganese Project in southeast Queensland.
Petrophysical studies on mineralised and non-mineralised diamond drill core from the 2018 program demonstrated that high-grade manganese displays significant magnetic susceptibility.
The survey is expected to more definitively indicate hidden lenses of high-grade manganese mineralisation indicated from gravity surveys.
Initial traverses
An initial program of 2,100 metres of traverses over the main area of old workings is expected to provide structural data and indicate the advantage of conducting more extensive surveys to extend the area of known mineralisation.
Such an extended survey would cover satellite manganese occurrences near Amamoor which could constitute mill-feed to support a mining operation.
Proposed magnetic survey area.
Stage two drilling
This survey work will cover the main area of manganese workings and is expected to facilitate a more effective siting of drill holes.
First stage shallow drilling produced high-grade results including 3.2 metres at 59.8% MnO from a depth of 8.8 metres in steeply-dipping high-grade lenses.
The second stage drilling program is targeted to delineate extensions of these lenses and to test other mineralised outcrop areas with an aim of developing the potential for a high-grade manganese resource.
Diamond drilling is expected to begin in the second half of September 2020.