AuKing Mining Ltd (ASX:AKN) has bolstered the JORC-compliant resource at its Koongie Park Copper-Zinc Project in northern WA by 30%.
The resource now stands at 8.9 million tonnes at 1.01% copper, 3.67% zinc, 0.16 gold, 32 g/t silver and 0.77% lead.
Assurance continues to grow in the Koongie Park resource as 97% now sits within the higher-confidence indicated category.
AuKing’s update comes after the company closed the books on its 2021 drill program and engaged CSA Global to revise the Koongie Park resource.
Opportunities to target extensions
Speaking to the update, AuKing CEO Paul Williams said: “AKN is very pleased to provide the updated JORC resource estimate for Koongie Park.
“The additional data obtained from recent drill programs conducted last year and the findings from a detailed AKN structural geology review have significantly improved the confidence in the geological models for Onedin and Sandiego.
“This has provided the basis for the 30% increase in tonnage and nearly 100% of the resource is now in the indicated classification.
“The new Koongie Park resource estimate has provided many opportunities for AKN to target higher-grade extensions and repetitions within favourable host rocks and structures in other areas adjacent to the Onedin and Sandiego deposits.”
The results are in
Koongie Park is now reported to hold:
- 90,000 tonnes of copper;
- 326,000 tonnes of zinc;
- 46,000 ounces of gold;
- 9.1 million ounces of silver; and
- 68,000 tonnes of lead.
So far, no provision has been made for cobalt and molybdenum discoveries in the updated resource estimate as AuKing waits on further drilling results.
Apart from the 30% jump in tonnage, the resource update has also bolstered confidence in Koongie Park’s Onedin and Sandiego deposits.
In the last six months, the team has deepened its understanding of each deposit’s geological model.
The improved geological data, which underpins this update, broadens opportunities to target higher grade extensions and repetitions across the deposits.
It also opens the door to explore other prospects across Koongie park’s tenure within favourable host rocks and structures in other areas adjacent to the Onedin and Sandiego deposits and in other prospects across the package.
Taking a closer look
Based on its findings to date, AuKing expects to mine the Onedin deposit using open-cut methods, while Sandiego will likely involve an underground operation.
Explorers conducted metallurgical test-work across the deposits from the 1970s. Early work was superseded by a major campaign and studies undertaken by Anglo Australia Resources from 2006.
Essentially, metallurgical test-work established that saleable copper and zinc concentrates could be produced from the sulphide mineralisation, but work on the transitional material would prove more challenging.
Interestingly, test-work in 2007 underpinned a mineral processing flowsheet, designed to support economic studies.
No further mining studies have been carried out by AKN to date. However, the company has commenced an initial metallurgical test-work program on the oxide/transitional material at Onedin, applying various techniques including ammonia-based processing.
Work is ongoing and first results are expected in the coming months.