Mid-tier base and precious metals producer Aeris Resources (ASX:AIS) has installed an escape ladderway to the surface at the Avoca Tank Mine within its Tritton Copper Operations in New South Wales.
With the escape ladderway now completed as planned, the company reports stoping will begin at the mine. The trucking of the first Avoca Tank stope began on 28 May 2023, delivering 11,000 tonnes @ about 3% copper ore. This ‘high-grade’ ore will contribute to the ‘significant’ increase in copper production forecast for Tritton in Q4.
Meanwhile, an active diamond drilling program is continuing at Avoca Tank, with resource definition and grade control drilling focused on a 60m high vertical section covering the initial production front.
The company says to date, this drilling program has exceeded expectations, with assays showing most drillholes intersected ‘high-grade’ copper-gold associated with the 3 massive sulphide lenses, with 2 lenses containing copper-gold and the third only containing gold. These lenses remain open down-plunge.
Aeris reports drilling has confirmed a dominant ‘high-grade’ copper-gold massive sulphide lens with a smaller less continuous offshoot. The company says the larger massive sulphide lens has been traced 100m along strike and extends beyond the 60m vertical drilling window. Additionally, the drill program has not closed off the lens along strike to the north.
‘High-grade’ intersections recorded include hole ATGC019 with 15.1m @ 6.98% Cu, 1.23g/t Au, and 23g/t Ag; ATGC018 with 13m @ 6.24% Cu, 1.03g/t Au, and 20g/t Ag; and ATGC007 with 6m @ 5.31% Cu, 0.33g/t Au, and 14g/t Ag.
Commenting on the results, Aeris Resources Executive Chairman Andre Labuschagne says: “The team at Tritton have done a fantastic job to bring Avoca Tank into production on time.
“This high-grade ore source will be a major contributor to lifting copper grades at Tritton going forward”
This high-grade ore source will be a major contributor to lifting copper grades at Tritton going forward. The recent high-grade drill results at Avoca Tank also indicate the potential for higher grades and a larger metal inventory within the initial mining areas.”
Aeris also reports rise boring for the Budgerygar ventilation shaft continues to encounter geotechnical issues, resulting in slower progress than planned. The company says the 4m diameter vent shaft is expected to be completed early in Q1 FY24.
However, production from Budgerygar for Q4 FY23 is not at risk, as the scheduled tonnes can be mined with existing infrastructure prior to the completion of the primary ventilation shaft.
Aeris says completing the ventilation shaft will enable ‘higher’ production rates with multiple headings going forward. Additionally, ore development activities are on track at Budgerygar.
Aeris Resources is a Brisbane-based mid-tier base and precious metals producer focused on its copper-dominant portfolio of assets across Australia.
These assets include the Tritton Copper Operations in central New South Wales, the Cracow Gold Operations in central Queensland, the Jaguar Operations in Western Australia, and the North Queensland Copper Operations in the Mt Isa and Cloncurry region of Queensland.
The Tritton Copper Operations cover about 2,330km-square in the Girilambone Basin near Cobar, with more than 750,000 tonnes of copper discovered on the tenement package since modern exploration began at the site in the 1980s.
Write to Harry Mulholland at Mining.com.au
Images: Aeris Resources Ltd
