Antares Metals (ASX:AM5) has returned up to 22% copper from a recent rock chip sampling program at its Mt Isa North Copper and Uranium Project in northwest Queensland.
The program explored the Startle and Moonside prospects within the greater project, building on historical findings with field reconnaissance and mapping.
Located within the Surprise Mine Project, the Startle prospect returned results including 22.3% copper, 3.28% copper, and 1.97% copper across seven samples.
Antares claims that though the prospect was not a high priority for exploration, the company will now streamline activities in hopes of adding to its copper endowment of the eastern tenure.
Hosting a range of copper workings for a 240m strike, geologists delineated mineralised lodes from two separate structures at the Moonside prospect.
Nine rock chip samples were collected in this program, returning 16.2% copper, 9.8% copper, 6% copper, and 5.9% copper, as well as 1 gram per tonne of gold, which will be followed up.
Moonside held a historical rock chip result of 30% copper prior to Antares’ acquisition.
CEO Johan Lambrechts says Antares still has a lot of physical ground to cover across the project, with recent programs forming the company’s first exploration season and positioning it to play a part in the region’s future.
“The systematic and geology-driven exploration of our Mt Isa North projects continues to pay dividends as our ‘boots on the ground’ mantra delivers another strong set of results from Startle and Moonside,” Lambrechts says.
“The closing of the Mt Isa copper mines does not spell the end of the copper mining chapter for the region. It remains open to be written by those out in the field vying for the next discovery.”
Antares intends to follow up mineralisation at the Surprise Mine with an upcoming drilling program, also targeting the new Marvel prospect.
The company will also continue exploration at its other prospects following the return of initial geological reconnaissance at the Julius, Calton Hills, and Hero South prospects.
Antares Metals is an Australian explorer focused on advancing its projects in Queensland and Western Australia.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Antares Metals
