Cooper Metals Ltd (ASX:CPM) has intersected sulphides in its maiden drilling program at King Solomon prospect within the Mt Isa East Copper-Gold Project in northwest Queensland, with the portable XRF confirming the presence of copper in the sulphides.
The company drilled 21 reverse circulation (RC) holes totalling 1,665 metres at King Solomon over the last two weeks with visible sulphides including pyrite and chalcopyrite encountered in most drill holes.
A large airborne versatile domain electromagnetic (VTEM) survey is underway covering around 240 square kilometres and 1,460-line kilometres designed to identify any bedrock conductors that may be a result of sulphide mineralisation.
“Confirmation of sulphides”
Cooper managing director Ian Warland said: “The maiden RC drilling program at King Solomon is complete and we are very encouraged with the confirmation of sulphides at the prospect.
“Several of the holes intersected variable widths of visible pyrite and chalcopyrite along the King Solomon trend.
“The sulphide content encountered in the drilling varies from low grade disseminated to semi-massive with the highest visual sulphides at King Solomon 1 in drill hole 22MERC0016.
“The samples are already submitted to the laboratory and we will update the market as soon as results come to hand.
“We plan to be out drilling again at King Solomon after a data review and as soon as regulatory drilling approvals are received for the Python prospect.”
Drill program
Drilling at King Solomon tested under historical workings and the fixed loop electromagnetic (FLEM) response along the 1.2-kilometre mineralised trend.
The drilling has confirmed the presence of a zone of steeply dipping sulphides varying in concentration from trace to disseminated and up to semi-massive, generally coincident with the line of historical workings.
The drill holes were generally shallow, ranging from 51 metres to 141 metres with hole 22MERC016 containing one of the most significant intersections of the program with seven metres of visual sulphide from 85 metres.
RC drill chips from hole 22MERC016 sample.
Copper mineralisation
Cooper has taken 450 one-metre RC drilling samples (including QA/QC samples) from the 16 drill holes, which were submitted to Australian Laboratory Services in Mount Isa.
Subsequently, the samples will be analysed for a suite of elements including copper and gold.
These one-metre samples were selected by a geologist for laboratory analysis based on the observed geology in the drill chips and guided by a portable XRF machine, where copper was measured at >1000ppm.
Forward plan
Cooper’s drilling at Python prospect will start once regulatory approvals are received along with follow-up drilling at King Solomon.
Follow up programs at Mt Isa include:
- Obtain assay results from King Solomon's drilling and interpret;
- Finalise drill approvals ahead of drill testing at Python;
- Conduct follow-up drilling at King Solomon and Python prospects; and
- Complete VTEM survey, then ground truth and rank targets.