Antipa Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZY) has added exploration upside to its joint venture Citadel Project with Rio Tinto Exploration Pty Limited in Western Australia, after defining extensional mineralisation at Calibre and new zones of sulphide-rich breccias at the Rimfire North target.
Drilling at Calibre extended the known gold-copper mineralisation outside the southern limits of the existing 2.1-million-ounce gold and 104,000-tonne copper mineral resource. Intersections of note included:
- 10.6 metres at 2.12 g/t gold and 0.12% copper from 153 metres down hole, including 1-metre at 20.10 g/t gold and 0.83% copper from 152 metres;
- 31.9 metres at 1.07 g/t gold and 0.25% copper from 413.4 metres, including 4.9 metres at 0.86 g/t gold and 1.41% copper from 414.1 metres and 1.3 metres at 12.25 g/t gold from 423 metres;
- 126.1 metres at 0.43 g/t gold and 0.17% copper from 113.6 metres;
- 92.0 metres at 0.44 g/t gold and 0.16% copper from 217.3 metres; and
- 39.9 metres at 0.50 g/t gold and 0.37% copper from 284.6 metres, including 3.0 metres at 1.76 g/t gold and 1.79% copper from 306 metres.
Broad-spaced drilling at Rimfire North also intersected mineralisation, which at this target contained sulphide-rich breccias along a 1.5-kilometre interpreted dome structure. Intersections included:
- 15.2 metres at 0.53 g/t gold and 0.21% copper from 148.9 metres down hole, including 6.2 metres at 1.06 g/t gold and 0.23% copper from 154 metres;
- 26.1 metres at 0.48 g/t gold and 0.23% copper from 182.2 metres, including 9.6 metres at 0.97 g/t gold and 0.34% copper from 188 metres;
- 4.0 metres at 2.72 g/t gold and 0.07% copper from 102.0 metres; and
- 2.0 metres at 7.73 g/t gold and 0.09% copper from 106.0 metres.
Antipa believes these Rimfire results reveal a potential for a material discovery under shallow cover with multiple magnetic anomalies remaining untested.
In future, drill targeting will be enhanced with a recently completed but detailed aeromagnetic survey as well as ground physical surveys planned for 2022.
“Untested exploration potential”
“The available 2021 exploration program results have further increased the potential size of the Calibre 2.1-million-ounce gold, 104,000-tonne copper and 1.3-million-ounce silver mineral resource and have also identified highly prospective sulphide-rich breccia style mineralisation at Rimfire,” Antipa Minerals managing director Roger Mason said.
“Completion this year of the detailed Rimfire aeromagnetic survey in conjunction with additional geophysical surveys planned for 2022 will lead to significantly enhanced gold-copper target identification and testing.
“The JV partners have agreed to a $10 million CY 2022 exploration program demonstrating the continued belief in the significant untested exploration potential of the Citadel Project.”
The expanded 2021 exploration program targeted the completion of Calibre and Magnum gold-copper resource extensions and greenfield discovery drill programs as well as various geophysical surveys, including:
- 24,530 metres of reverse circulation (RC) drilling;
- Ground array induced polarisation (GAIP) geophysical surveying; and
- A detailed aeromagnetic survey over the Rimfire area.
2022 exploration program
Antipa and JV partner Rio Tinto have agreed to a $10 million exploration program for the new year, designed to follow-up mineralisation discovered at Rimfire and progress regional target drill testing.
The program will be operated by Rio Tinto and is currently planned to include the following:
- An 8,000 to 11,000 metres RC and diamond drill program focused on the Rimfire area, together with select regional targets including Magnum North, with expected commencement in April;
- Geophysical program comprising Induced Polarisation (IP), Rimfire ground electromagnetic (EM) and downhole geophysical surveys, with expected commencement in April;
- Ongoing processing and interpretation of IP and drilling data (including final 2021 exploration program data), together with Calibre deposit, Magnum Dome and preliminary Rimfire modelling, to identify further priority target areas;
- Possible update to the existing 2021 Calibre deposit mineralisation model and/or mineral resource;
- Conclusion of the Calibre preliminary metallurgical test-work;
- Conclusion of a preliminary assessment of a potential Calibre deposit development opportunity; and
- Rimfire water bore.
About Antipa Minerals
Antipa Minerals is a mineral exploration company primarily focusing on the Paterson Province in northwest Western Australia, which is home to Newcrest Mining Ltd’s world-class Telfer gold-copper mine, and other such large mineral deposits.
The company has consolidated most of the exploration tenure in eastern Paterson with the objective of making world-class discoveries and providing maximum leverage to shareholders.