Aguila Copper Corp. (TSXV: AGL) (OTCQB: AGLAF) has signed a contract with Precision GeoSurveys Inc., to undertake a high-resolution helicopter-borne magnetic and radiometric survey at the Cora Copper project in Arizona.
Cora lies 75km NNE of Tucson within the heart of the southern Arizona copper belt and surrounded by many of North America’s largest copper mines and development projects. The project is 100% owned by Aguila, secured by 46 granted BLM lode mining claims covering a total of 3.84 sq km.
Precision GeoSurveys utilise a triple boom helicopter mounted sensor that enables both magnetic intensity and gradient to be measured with a low terrain clearance. The flight line spacing interval will be 50 m with a total of 420 line km flown. The survey will deliver detailed datasets in an area where prior magnetic and radiometric coverage is poor.
Magnetic data will enable a better understanding of alteration, as magnetic minerals are enriched or destroyed depending on position within the porphyry system; while radiometric data will assist in delineating the core of the porphyry system (potassic alteration). When these data are combined with historic data, it will enable immediate drill targeting.
“Precision GeoSurvey’s airborne geophysical survey should provide us with immediate drill targets at Cora. We are certain that the higher resolution and improved coverage will provide us with targets for drilling later this year, and we are looking forward to the upcoming field season,” Mark Saxon, President and CEO of Aguila, said.
Small scale copper mining began at the nearby North Star Mine in the 1949 and continued until 1970. Mining sparked local exploration activity, mainly in the form of ground geophysics and drilling, which was carried out by Asarco, Magma Copper and Phillips Petroleum in the 1960s and 1970s.
A broad area of oxide copper mineralisation of interpreted porphyry style was discovered under alluvial cover to the east of the North Star Mine, which is now secured by the Cora Copper project. Following the discovery, it appears the copper mineralisation was not further assessed, and remains a largely untested, highly prospective target.
The airborne geophysical survey aims to further delineate porphyry-associated features associated with copper mineralisation and refine drill targets.
Original exploration company records held by the Geological Survey of Arizona indicate past drilling at Cora intersected oxide copper mineralization over widths in excess of 100 m, beneath shallow alluvial cover, over an area of at least 1km by 1km. Intervals include:
- DH5: 99.7m (327ft) @ 0.28% Cu, below 10.7m of alluvial cover (California Steel Co., 1950s)
- DH4: 39.6m (130ft) @ 0.38% Cu, below 47.2m of alluvial cover (California Steel Co., 1950s)
- DH1: 225.5m (740ft) @ 0.29% Cu, below 42.7m of alluvial cover (California Steel Co., 1950s)
A Notice of Exploration has been lodged with the Tucson Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management, BLM and the Airborne geophysical survey program at Cora is expected to start in March-April of 2022.
Aguila is focused on copper, nickel and lithium acquisition, exploration and development within the major mining belts of western North America.
The company continues to target under-explored areas, including the recently acquired Lida and Cora projects where post-mineralisation cover masks areas of high geological prospectivity in the vicinity of major mines.
For further information please visit: https://aguilacopper.com/
