Australian copper explorer Castillo Copper (ASX:CCZ) reports it has completed an auger sampling program focused on a 6.5km-square rare earth element (REE) exploration footprint within the Broken Hill Project’s East Zone in New South Wales.
The company says the objective of the campaign is to determine the full extent of the REE mineralisation within the areas sampled, and identify new targets to drill-test.
Samples were taken at depths of 0.1m to 0.4m by hand auger, and the geology team has dispatched all samples to the laboratory for follow-up analyses. These results are expected to be returned in 4 to 6 weeks, and will enable the company to complete a full interpretation of the REE mineralisation potential.
Castillo Copper Managing Director Dennis Jensen says: “Without question, the highlight event for 2022 has been the shallow REE discovery within Broken Hill Project’s East Zone.
The board is eagerly awaiting assay results from the drilling and auger sampling campaigns, as they will enable us to chart the next phase of exploration.
In addition, the board has commissioned a site visit to several prospects within the NWQ Copper Project during Q1 2023 to determine which should be prioritised for further development work.
Overall, the board remains focused on developing projects within the portfolio that deliver the greatest potential to create value for shareholders.”
Castillo reports the decision to commission the auger sampling campaign follows the receipt of drill assays for the Fence Gossan, Tors Tank and partly Reefs Tank prospects which confirmed shallow REE mineralisation is more widely apparent within the Broken Hill Project’s East Zone than initially expected.
Once assays for the auger sampling and final 3 reverse circulation (RC) drill results for Reefs Tank and diamond core for Tors Tank are returned, the company’s board will determine the next phase of REE-focused exploration across the Broken Hill Project’s East Zone.
Castillo also reports its geology team have been reviewing all the prospects within the NWQ Copper Project in Queensland, and have selected several to visit during Q1 2023. The key objective of the upcoming site visit will be to ascertain the potential for these to host copper mineralisation and further follow-up development work.
Castillo Copper is an Australian explorer primarily focused on copper across Australia and Zambia. Its core projects include the NWQ Project which covers a large footprint of the Mt Isa copper-belt district in northwestern Queensland, as well as 4 assets across Zambia’s copper belt.
The company also holds the Broken Hill Project which is considered prospective for cobalt-zinc-silver-lead-copper-gold and platinoids, and the Cangai Copper Mine in northern New South Wales.
Images: Castillo Copper Ltd
