Copper Fox Metals Inc (TSX-V:CUU, OTCQX:CPFXF) and its subsidiary Desert Fox Copper Inc have announced the results of the high-resolution airborne magnetic and radiometric survey on the 100%-owned Sombrero Butte copper project in Arizona, USA.
"The spatial correlation of the copper-molybdenum mineralization, chargeability and K/Th anomalies, alteration zoa, ing, mineralized breccia pipes to the magnetic susceptibility body suggests a buried porphyry system located to the east of a N30W trending, west-dipping normal fault,” Elmer B. Stewart, President, and CEO of Copper Fox, said in a statement.
“The 2022 airborne survey increases our geological understanding and confidence in the porphyry potential of the property. Compilation of all exploration data from the project is underway; the results of which will be used to determine next steps to advance the project," he added.
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The Sombrero Butte survey block was flown by Precision GeoSurveys Inc, using an Airbus AS350 helicopter at 100m line spacing at a heading of 090°/270°. Survey lines were flown at an elevation approximating 33 metres (m) above-ground surface.
Highlights of the survey include:
- Two K/Th anomalies associated with a positive magnetic susceptibility body located in the footwall of an interpreted west-dipping normal fault system have been identified.
- These K/Th anomalies exhibit coincident:
- N30W trending zones of copper (>500 parts per million (ppm) and molybdenum (>20ppm) mineralization.
- Mineralized breccia pipes.
- Previously identified chargeability anomalies.
- The K/Th anomaly at the north end of the property crosses the property boundary to the north.
- On a regional scale, the geological features of the property hosting the Copper Creek porphyry copper deposit are interpreted to extend to the southeast onto the Sombrero Butte project.
- The survey identified several interpreted west-dipping interpreted normal faults underlying the central and eastern portion of the property. The centrally located normal fault appears to be the main control on the location of the interpreted porphyry system.
Sombrero Butte is a Laramide age, exploration stage, porphyry copper project located in the historic Bunker Hill Mining District, 44 miles northeast of Tucson, Arizona, and approximately 3 kilometres (km) south of the Copper Creek porphyry copper deposit. Historical production from the project is reported to have occurred between 1903 and 1920 from mineralized breccia pipes at the north end of the property with reports of "low-grade ore assaying 3-5% copper and higher-grade mineralization from along open cuts and tunnels assaying 20-33% copper."
The geological model of the project exhibits a central core of Laramide age Copper Creek granodiorite intruding early Laramide age Glory Hole Volcanics and Pre-Cambrian age Pinal Schist. The west and east sides of the property are underlain by the younger Miocene age Galiuro Volcanics.
The Glory Hole Volcanics and Copper Creek granodiorite have been intruded by late-stage dikes of varying composition including gray porphyry and a significant number of mineralized breccia pipes possibly related to the underlying Copper Creek granodiorite and interpreted porphyry system. On the west side of the property, a N30W trending Range Front Fault brings the Copper Creek granodiorite and the Pinal Schist in contact with the Galiuro Volcanics.
Magnetic Vector Inversion has identified a large, positive magnetic susceptibility anomaly measuring approximately 3 km by 1.5 km in the central portion of the property. This magnetic susceptibility body crosses the contacts of the Copper Creek granodiorite, Glory Hole Volcanics and the Galiuro Volcanics. Magnetite destruction within the Glory Hole Volcanics to a maximum depth of +/- 400m below surface is evidenced by an irregular magnetic susceptibility pattern, the N30W trending magnetic lows and mapping completed within this area.
Copper Fox is a Tier 1 Canadian resource company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, focused on copper exploration and development in Canada and the US.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com