Red Rock Resources PLC (AIM:RRR) said copper and cobalt were found in a wide-spaced reverse circulation (RC) drill programme that has "greatly exceeded" expectations at the Luanshimba copper-cobalt project in the Haut-Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
As a result of 2,469m of drilling across 29 holes, Luanshimba, which is operated by 80% owned Congolese subsidiary Red Rock Galaxy SA, now has three named prospects: Kilembwe (18 holes), Luanshimba North (9 holes) and Luanshimba East (2 holes).
Copper intersections of significance were said to include 6m at 0.61%, including a metre at 1.45%, towards the bottom of one Kilembwe hole; and 3m at 0.7% and 3m at 1.14% encountered towards the bottom of two holes at Luanshimba North.
Cobalt was found in fault gouges and breccias, including 43m at 0.13%, including 11m at 0.2% at Kilembwe; 3m at 0.37% related to a fault gouge, overlying 13m at 0.10% at Kilembwe; and 5m at 0.78%, including 2m at 1.4% in Luanshimba East.
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Positive results, high grade cobalt encountered at the Luanshimba copper-cobalt project in the Haut-Katanga Province of the DRC.
Luanshimba Project RC holes on Cu geochem anomaly map below.https://t.co/eXhLQzX0xq pic.twitter.com/6VpsW7EvQY
— Red Rock Resources (@RRR_RedRock) February 15, 2022
Seven of the holes were stopped before target depth due to ground conditions and general limit of drilling 100m due to rig limitations.
"We carried out an initial drill programme to test the hypothesis that the geochemical anomalies and favourable geophysics were not associated with potentially significant mineralisation," said chairman Andrew Bell.
"The fences were 100m apart and we only drilled at intervals of 200m or more, so the drilling was wide-spaced, and only to about 100m depth, so through the water table but hardly beyond. We could easily have missed every target, and could hardly expect to hit any bullseye.
"What has been achieved has therefore greatly exceeded our expectations and can be considered a success, identifying but barely penetrating a potentially large Copper-bearing structure, as well as encountering significant thicknesses and some exceptional grades of Cobalt which with closer-spaced RAB drilling can be better defined.
"Several holes ended just as they were entering promising pyrite and chalcopyrite mineralisation, and the next stage of exploration will need to include diamond drilling to increase structural understanding and to test for Copper and Cobalt bearing ores deeper in the sequence."