Austral Resources (ASX:AR1) has intersected 15m at 1.20% copper (Cu) and 0.24 grams per tonne gold (Au) from 60m at the Cameron River Project in Queensland.
The result from drill hole 26SQRC006 includes 5m @ 3.04% Cu and 0.60g/t Au from 61m. It was recorded along the Santa Maria trend, about 300m south of and parallel to the Snow Queen prospect.
Austral says the alteration, host rocks, and structural setting at Santa Maria are comparable to those at Snow Queen, supporting its interpretation of a second mineralised trend within the same copper-gold system.
Chairman David Newling says the result strengthens the company’s regional exploration strategy around its processing infrastructure.
“Snow Queen sits within a broader portfolio of satellite opportunities that underpin our strategy of building regional scale around the Rocklands processing facility,” Newling says.
Drill hole 26SQRC002, which tested the eastern strike extent of the Snow Queen trend, intersected 5m @ 0.33% Cu and 0.25g/t Au from 4m in near-surface oxide mineralisation.
The same hole also returned a deeper sulphide intersection of 4m @ 0.50% Cu and 0.04g/t Au from 70m.
Austral says it has mobilised a second rig to accelerate exploration across Cameron River, where more than 35 historical copper workings are scheduled for systematic drill testing over the next 12–18 months.
The company notes follow-up drilling is underway at Snow Queen to define the extent of the recently discovered copper mineralisation. The wider regional program is expected to continue through the December quarter, testing extensions to known mineralisation and previously undrilled geochemical, geophysical, and structural targets.
Cameron River lies about 60km from Austral’s Rocklands processing facility. The company is assessing the project as a potential source of satellite feed for its existing infrastructure.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Austral Resources
