C29 Metals Ltd (ASX:C29) has pinpointed skarn mineralisation during drilling at its Reedy Creek Mine (RCM) prospect in New South Wales’ Lachlan Fold Belt.
The emerging copper explorer reported assays from the final three diamond drill holes at Reedy Creek, one of which encountered more than 1% copper in skarn-altered limestone.
C29 also hit a 1-metre intersection at 0.95% zinc in volcaniclastic breccia within the same drill hole.
With the final assays in, the explorer has all the information from its seven-hole, 1,059.9-metre diamond drill program and plans to follow up the findings with further exploration.
Chasing system extensions
Speaking to the latest assays, C29 Metals executive director Mark Major said the results were “very promising”.
“This drilling program has discovered the zone of skarn mineralisation towards the northeast of the historical Reedy Creek mine,” Major explained.
“We believe the system continues to the southwest and further northeast and may link into the Kala prospect area.
“Our team will continue its exploration efforts with additional drilling and geophysical interpretation.”
What do the assays say?
C29 last reported results from its RCM diamond drill campaign on April 20 and today released the assays for the fifth, sixth and seventh holes.
The campaign was designed to confirm historical, high-grade zones of copper, lead, zinc, silver and gold and to test for extensions to this mineralisation.
Ultimately, C29’s seventh drill hole reported elevated levels of copper and zinc, however, unlike previous holes, it failed to return any significant lead or gold hits.
Highlights from this hole include:
- 3 metres at 0.48% copper from 48 metres, including 1-metre at 1.14% from 49 metres; and
- 1 metre at 0.95% zinc from 19 metres.
Each of the final three holes was drilled roughly 220 metres along strike from the historical Reedy Creek Mine, designed to cut across its prospective stratigraphy.
Here, the seventh drill hole was able to intersect the prospect’s target limestone and skarn alteration.
C29 says the tenor of the seventh hole’s mineralisation compares with the previously announced results from first through fourth holes, even though the mineralised thicknesses are notably smaller.
Drill holes five and six did not encounter any limestone or skarn alteration, instead remaining within country rock throughout.
Future exploration
C29 has since received all outstanding assays for its recent diamond drilling program. Now, the explorer is planning another round of on-ground exploration, which will include geological mapping, sampling, reverse circulation drilling and possibly geophysical surveying.
The company is also in talks with local landowners to secure access for its future exploration campaigns.
Given the encouraging lead-zinc-silver results from the first diamond drill hole on the margin of the Reedy Creek Mine skarn alteration complex, C29 hopes to further explore around the historical mine workings via drilling and geophysical means.
In addition, recent interpretation has highlighted areas of magnetic/structural complexity that correspond to known mineralisation, so these will be targeted as a priority.
Zooming out, the Endeavour-1 prospect is 700 metres northeast along strike from RCM, shares similar geology and has known copper-gold soil anomalism.
C29 believes this target is underexplored and hopes to take a closer look at its mineralised potential down the line.