Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX:AIS) resource definition exploration continues to return high-grade copper assays, underpinning the company’s view that Constellation, within its 100%-owned Tritton tenement package in New South Wales, is a significant copper deposit.
Meanwhile, exploration drilling has also intersected massive sulphides,150 metres down plunge from previous drilling, with assays pending.
Copper mineralisation at Constellation has now been traced 1,000 metres down plunge and remains open down plunge and along strike.
Significant copper deposit
Aeris executive chairman, Andre Labuschagne said: “These latest drilling results, including extending mineralisation a further 150 metres down plunge, continues to underpin our view that Constellation is a significant copper deposit.”
Diamond drill results
Assay results have been received for an additional five resource definition drill holes targeting the deeper primary sulphide portion of the Constellation deposit.
All five holes reported high-grade copper intersections over varying thicknesses including:
- TAKD024 – 29 metres at 1.78% copper, 0.73 g/t gold, 4.6 g/t silver from 281 metres including 13 metres at 2.80% copper, 1.20 g/t gold, 7.6 g/t silver from 282.5 metres;
- TAKD026 – 15.8 metres at 1.64% copper, 0.75 g/t gold, 5.9 g/t silver from 205 metres including 4.45 metres at 3.91% copper, 1.32 g/t gold, 13.6 g/t silver from 216.35 metres;
- TAKD028 – 23.05 metres at 2.29% copper, 0.80 g/t gold, 4.1 g/t silver from 153.45 metres including 5.3 metres at 6.99% copper, 2.14 g/t gold, 12.3 g/t silver from 171.2 metres;
- TAKD029 – 10.95 metres at 2.73% copper, 0.82 g/t gold, 5.6 g/t silver from 160.85 metres; and
- TAKD035 –2.65 metres at 1.22% copper, 1.02 g/t gold, 6.6 g/t silver from 109.25 metres including 0.40 metres at 3.29% copper, 3.28 g/t gold, 16 g/t silver from 109.25 metres.
Assay results
Assay data for all 110 reverse circulation (RC) drill holes have been received following receipt of assays for the final seven RC drill holes from the Phase 2 program.
These seven RC drill holes targeted the periphery of the shallow oxide mineralised system.
The assay results are in line with expectations, either intersecting modest copper grades or no copper mineralisation, and are consistent with drill results already received from other RC drill holes near the domain margin.
Moving forward
Work has now commenced on the initial mineral resource estimate (MRE), focused on the shallow portion of the Constellation deposit (where mineralisation is predominantly oxide and supergene) defined by the extensive RC drill campaign.
The initial MRE will be completed within the current quarter.
Resource definition drilling is continuing with one drill rig targeting the deeper primary sulphide mineralised system.
The second drill rig is continuing with a geotechnical drill program as part of the option study work.