Great Southern Mining Ltd (ASX:GSN) has discovered two large gold-copper systems at Leichhardt Creek prospect within the wider Edinburgh Park Project in north Queensland following recent mapping and geochemical sampling.
The results, which comprise more than 1,554 soil samples and 23 rock chips, have mapped a vast (kilometre-scale) geochemical alteration system consistent with an intrusive related gold system (IRGS) exhibiting strong associated metal content over a 10 square kilometre area north of Beaks Mountain.
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Further work to refine targets
Chief executive officer Sean Gregory said: “The analysis of the recently extended soil surveys at Leichhart Creek at the company’s Edinburgh Park Project presents compelling evidence of circular metal zonation trends consistent with kilometre-scale intrusive related gold-copper systems.
“This evidence is backed up with field observations of mineralised outcrops around the margins of the defined anomalies, especially at Green Ant and the Rocky Ponds Breccia.
“As the wet season passes, our geologists will be back in the field next week to validate and further refine the targets with an aim of progressing the targets to the drill testing stage.
“Analysis of further soil surveys at nearby prospects is also underway.”
Geochemical results
The geostatistical analysis shows evidence of at least two major mineralised systems with IRGS affinity operating in the area and several minor satellite occurrences clustered in the surrounding area.
One of the main systems, Leichhardt West-Green Ant, on the southwest corner of the soil grid, is coincident with geological evidence of alteration and mineralisation consistent with an IRGS style.
This target has been advanced to target definition stage.
Mapping and sampling will continue until key criteriums are identified to refine down to specific drilling targets.
The second main system is at Beaks Flats where textbook circular metal zonation has been identified in the soils.
“Promising start”
Gregory added: “We have a considerable landholding in the region with more than 1,000 square kilometres surrounding Evolution’s Mt Carlton mine.
“We have made a promising start and are looking to accelerate our exploration efforts to ground truth the 19 targets illuminated by the hyperspectral data.”
The geochemical anomalies are coincident with independent geological evidence consistent with IRGS in some areas and epithermal high sulphidation deposit styles in other areas.
This evidence includes high-grade copper, gold and silver rock chips.
Interestingly, the high-grade rock chips are located at the margins of the geochemical anomalies rather than at the newly identified core.
Next steps
Soil surveys have also been conducted at Fish Creek, Spring Creek and Edinburgh Castle and are being processed.
With the wet season receding, field operations will resume with further field validation and mapping, including detailed traverses across the newly identified anomalies, with a focus on mapping the alteration halos associated with an IRGS that the circular metal zonation and geological observations suggest.
This work is being conducted with the objective of advancing several targets to the drill testing stage later in 2021.