Historical Review Find Coincident With Recent Copper Discovery
Taruga Minerals Ltd (ASX:TAR) has identified a seven km VTEM anomaly coincident with the high-grade Wyacca copper discovery, within the Mt Craig Copper Project (MCCP), in South Australia.
CEO, Thomas Line, said the significant find follows a review of historical (2013) Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic (VTEM) data.
The VTEM short-mid time anomaly is directly coincident with the recent shallow high- grade drill results at the Wyacca prospect, which included 5m at 2.4% Cu from 17m, including 1m at 9.5 % Cu from 18m (WCRC006), 11m at 1.5 % Cu, including 4m @ 2.7% Cu from 85m including 1m @ 5.9% Cu from 88m (WCRC021), and 7m @ 1.8% Cu from 85m, including 4m @ 3.1% Cu from 87m (WCRC017), covering 900m of strike which is open along strike and downdip.
Mid-late time and late time VTEM anomalies indicate an intensification of the chargeability downdip, with a strong anomaly zone in the east, with >90% of the anomaly remaining undrilled.
The Early-Time SFz16 VTEM anomaly image shows a strong correlation between the recent high-grade drill intercepts and the IP chargeability anomaly, along with highlighting a cross- cutting structure leading from the main Wyacca strike to the offset Worrumba 21 mine to the north-east.
The Mid-Late time SFz30 VTEM anomaly image indicates an intensification of the VTEM anomaly down-dip and highlights a series of cross-cutting structures where the anomaly pinches and swells along strike. The Late Time SFz45 VTEM anomaly image reveals an intense 2 x 1km late-time VTEM anomaly in the east of the recent Wyacca drilling, with the anomaly remaining open along strike to the east.
Review of Geological Survey of South Australia (GSSA) mapping combined with the EM data confirms the host Tindelpina Shale unit crops out for a total of 15km strike on the northern side of the Worrumba Anticline, with the entire strike contained within the Taruga permit EL6541.
The VTEM survey comes back into contact with the mapped Tindelpina Shale along strike to the south- west, where it again is highlighted as a VTEM anomaly. Another outcropping copper occurrence is mapped along strike along the contact between the Tindelpina Shale and the Wilyerpa Formation (Fm), 8km from the recent high-grade drill intercepts at Wyacca.
“The acquisition and review of historical EM data has provided invaluable data which will assist us with drill targeting at the Wyacca high-grade copper discovery,” Mr Line said.
“While the IP survey only extended for 1.7km along strike at Wyacca, the VTEM data extends for approximately 15km along strike at the top of the Mt Craig Project, covering the entire Wyacca, and penetrates far greater depths that the IP survey, highlighting further down-dip extensions of the host Tindelpina Shale.
“The combined review of the VTEM data and historical Government mapping confirms a 15km continuous strike of the host Tindelpina Shale, both east and west along strike from Wyacca, where only limited drilling has been conducted over 900m of strike to date.
“The early-time VTEM anomaly, which represents shallow depth responses, is coincident with the IP anomaly, where the locations of the recently returned high-grade drill intercepts show up as “hot zones” at these shallow depths. The anomaly response intensifies in the mid-time VTEM image, in the down-dip direction of the Tindelpina Shale along the entire 7km strike and may reflect an increase in the anomaly signal at depth.
“The late time VTEM image highlights an intensified VTEM anomaly in the far east of the Wyacca prospect area, where no drilling has been conducted, and this anomaly is open to the east beyond the survey limits, where likely extensions are also contained within Taruga’s Exploration Permit. Here, the intensified anomaly becomes somewhat isolated, and we look forward to targeting this and other newly identified VTEM anomalies in the upcoming RC programme.”
