Strong Results From Surface Geochemical Samples
Havilah Resources Limited (ASX: HAV) has discovered a wide new quartz-sulphide lode in four reverse circulation (RC) drillholes at the Cockburn prospect, 45 km southwest of Broken Hill in NSW, Australia.
Technical Director, Dr Chris Giles, said preliminary results from the recent RC drilling of a gossan outcrop at the Cockburn prospect has backed up highly anomalous surface geochemical samples containing up to 0.26% copper, 0.16% cobalt and 1.03 g/t gold which were collected by earlier exploration groups and confirmed by Havilah’s 2018 systematic surface lag sampling and rock chip sampling programme
“Our drilling shows that the subtle gossan outcrop at the Cockburn prospect is the surface expression of a quartz-sulphide lode at depth, with general similarities to the Mutooroo massive sulphide lode,” Dr Giles said.
“The 10 to 20 metre wide sulphide mineralised zone discovered is promising and further drilling and assaying will be required to determine the economic significance of the discovery.
“This is one of many promising prospects that we plan to drill in the Mutooroo Project Area and highlights the prospectivity for new sulphide discoveries within trucking distance of the Mutooroo deposit,” he said.
Four RC drillholes directed beneath the gossan intersected the zone of fresh and oxidised sulphides with associated vein quartz. The fresh sulphides are comprised predominantly of pyrite (iron sulphide) and some chalcopyrite (copper sulphide).
It is interpreted that the steeply east-dipping mineralisation occurs at the possibly sheared contact of mica schist and gneissic rocks.
The presence of copper and cobalt has been confirmed by Niton XRF analyses, while gold assays will be determined by laboratory analysis of drill samples presently in progress. Gold levels of 1 g/t as detected by surface sampling would be economically significant if they persisted into the primary sulphide zone.
A decision on further drilling at the Cockburn prospect will be made after receipt of laboratory assay results and completion of geological mapping and additional surface geochemical sampling.
Drilling has now moved to the Mutooroo West prospect, which lies four km northwest of the Mutooroo deposit. This will be the first drilling at this prospect for over 50 years.
Havilah plans several RC drillholes to test for shallow copper-cobalt mineralisation near the base of oxidation, and specifically testing a priority one AEM (airborne electromagnetic) bedrock conductor.
The Mutooroo Project Area is centred on Havilah’s 100% owned Mutooroo copper-cobalt-gold project that contains 195,000 tonnes of copper, 20,200 tonnes of cobalt and 82,100 ounces of gold in a massive sulphide lode.
As such, Mutooroo is one of the highest grade sulphide cobalt deposits associated with copper in Australia. The MPA is highly prospective for the discovery of lode style copper-cobalt-gold mineralisation.
Many earlier economic grade copper and/or gold drilling intersections in the MPA have never been followed up, in some cases for more than 50 years (eg Mutooroo West prospect).
In addition, numerous copper, cobalt and gold surface geochemical anomalies identified by Havilah and earlier explorers present completely new targets to test.
Geologically, the MPA lies in the shadow of the giant Broken Hill lead-zinc-silver deposit in similar age rocks, and there is evidence to suggest that the mineralising processes that generated Broken Hill also operated in the MPA. The MPA is particularly attractive for exploration owing to the lack of cover and applicability of surface geochemical sampling methods and electrical geophysical methods, plus the excellent logistics in proximity to Broken Hill.
All known prospects are located within trucking distance of the Mutooroo deposit and the terrain is generally flat. Havilah’s exploration strategy is to discover copper-cobalt-gold resources in the MPA that can support a central mining and processing operation centred on the Mutooroo deposit.
Havilah aims to systematically explore the MPA and an experienced exploration geologist has been dedicated to this task. Drilling of the Cockburn and Mutooroo West prospects is the first step in execution of this strategy.
For further information please visit: https://www.havilah-resources-projects.com/
