Golden Deeps Limited (ASX:GED) has hit exceptionally thick and high-grade, diamond drilling intersections of copper-vanadium-lead and silver mineralisation at its Nosib Block Prospect, located in the Otavi Mountain Land of northern Namibia.
Diamond drillhole, NSBDD008, produced an intersection from surface of: 53.52m @ 1.15% Cu, 0.62% V2O5, 3.49% Pb, 4.57 g/t Ag (3.6% CuEq) from surface, including: 25.74m @ 1.71% Cu, 1.17% V2O5, 6.57% Pb, 4.92 g/t Ag (6.3% CuEq) from 2.26m including: 11.74m @ 2.67% Cu, 1.42% V2O5, 9.21% Pb, 7.12 g/t Ag (8.5% CuEq) from 2.26m.
Vertical diamond drillhole NSBDD008 tested the moderately dipping mineralisation from surface through the entire mineralised Nosib arenite unit. A second, sulphide, intersection in this hole was produced on the footwall: 10.60m @ 0.75% Cu, 3.75g/t Ag from 64m incl. 2.47m @ 1.75% Cu, 8.05g/t Ag.
The intersection in NSBDD008 is within the shallow, high-grade, copper-vanadium-lead-silver supergene zone at Nosib, that produced previous diamond drilling results including the very high-grade intersection from NSBDD0022 below: – NSBDD002: 20.85m @ 2.0% Cu, 1.54% V2O5, 6.0% Pb, 7.7 g/t Ag (6.4% CuEq) from 0m incl. 12.10m @ 3.2% Cu, 2.54% V2O5, 9.8% Pb, 8.0 g/t Ag (10.3% CuEq) from 0m incl. 3.00m @ 6.3% Cu, 7.82% V2O5, 21.9% Pb, 6.4 g/t Ag (25.9% CuEq) from 7.3m.
This shallow, high-grade, copper-vanadium-lead-silver mineralised zone has now been tested over a 100m strike length and continues from surface to approximately 50m vertical depth. The zone remains open to the northeast and southwest at surface.
Deeper diamond drilling produced a thick stratabound intersection of copper-silver mineralisation in NSBDD007: 16.45m @ 0.46% Cu, 4.31 g/t Ag from 94m incl. 1.19m @ 2.00% Cu, 28.2 g/t Ag.
This intersection is of similar “tenor” to the previously reported intersection in NSBDD0033 of: NSBDD003: 35.84m @ 0.45% Cu, 3.8 g/t Ag (0.53% CuEq) from 71.0m incl. 22.71m @ 0.54% Cu, 4.6 g/t Ag (0.64% CuEq) from 71.0m incl. 4.07m @ 1.13% Cu, 9.3 g/t Ag (1.27% CuEq) from 89.03m incl. 0.40m @ 6.81% Cu, 41.6 g/t Ag (7.3% CuEq) from 92.7m.
In addition, diamond drillhole NSBDD009 tested extensions along strike to the northeast of the mineralised zone, intersecting 25.84m @ 0.36% Cu, 2.33 g/t Au from 7.16m incl. 4.18m @ 1.28% Cu, 6.65 g/t Au, which is open to the northeast with NSBDD0010 results to come.
Next Steps
Metallurgical Testwork and a Maiden Resource Estimate for the Nosib Prospect
Samples of diamond drill-core from NSBDD008 and other previous intersections (e.g. NSBDD002) will now being aggregated to produce a bulk sample for gravity concentration testwork, along similar lines to the testwork being carried out on the Abenab high-grade vanadium-lead-zinc deposit1 , located 20km to the northeast of Nosib.
The gravity concentration testwork will aim to generate three to five kg of material, targeting a 15 times upgrade of vanadium and lead, as well as copper. The Nosib gravity concentrate sample will then be subjected to Stage 1 Hydrometallurgical leach testwork based on the new-flowsheet developed for the Abenab project.
The results of the initial testwork on the Nosib mineralisation will then be up-scaled to apply to a bulk-trial mining sample of approximately three tonnes being excavated from surface. In parallel with the testwork, a maiden resource estimate will be produced for the Nosib supergene vanadium-copper-lead-silver mineralisation prior to initial open-pit optimisation and mining studies.
“The diamond drilling programmr at Nosib has been very successful. Significant, thick and high-grade, coppervanadium-lead and silver mineralisation has been defined with RC and diamond drilling, extending from surface to over 50m vertical depth,” CEO, Jon Dugdale, said.
“The high-grade zone, from surface, has an ideal geometry for open-pit mining and the project will now be fast-tracked with a maiden resource estimate, open-pit optimisation and metallurgical testing to be carried out prior to initial development and processing studies.
“The concept here is to combine the outcomes of the testwork on Nosib with the Abenab high-grade vanadium project studies to produce an integrated mining and processing plan for near-term production of high-value vanadium, copper, lead and zinc products to feed the ever-increasing demand for these metals for renewable energy battery industries.”
