AIC Mines (ASX:A1M) has returned its ‘highest-grade’ copper–gold intersection to date from maiden diamond drilling at the Brumby prospect in Queensland.
The first hole intersected 46.4m @ 3.60% copper (Cu) and 1 gram per tonne gold (Au) from 146.5m, including 10.5m @ 14.40% Cu and 3.80g/t Au.
The intervals have estimated true widths of 41.8m and 9.4m, respectively.
AIC says the result verifies a continuous zone along the southern margin of a larger sulphide-magnetite breccia pipe.
Managing Director Aaron Colleran says the intersection has elevated Brumby to the company’s main priority exploration.
“The intersection in hole BRDD001 is a fantastic result and escalates the Brumby project to our highest priority exploration project,” Colleran says.
Two step-out holes were drilled to better define the geometry of the interpreted mineralised shoot. One hole marked the eastern edge of the breccia and returned no significant copper mineralisation, while the other intersected 3m @ 0.60% Cu and 0.10g/t Au from 279m.
The company notes the latest drilling extends mineralisation previously encountered in historical hole BRNQ0012, which returned 17m @ 1.70% Cu and 0.50g/t Au from 157m.
Mineralisation has now been outlined across approximately 500m of strike and from about 20m below surface to a depth of 200m. It remains open to the west, southwest, and at depth.
AIC reads Brumby as an iron-oxide-copper-gold system hosted within an altered hematite-magnetite breccia pipe. Chalcopyrite occurs in massive sulphide intervals and fracture networks within the breccia.
The prospect forms part of AIC’s wholly owned Cannington Project, approximately 20km west of South32’s (ASX:S32) Cannington mine and 100km south of AIC’s operating Eloise copper mine.
Results from recently completed soil geochemistry and gravity surveys are pending. AIC says planning and approvals for follow-up drilling are underway.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: AIC Mines
