Cooper Metals (ASX:CPM) reports it has commenced 2 reverse circulation (RC) drilling programs at its King Solomon 1 and Python Copper-Gold (Cu-Au) Prospects, as part of its Mt Isa East Cu-Au Project in Queensland.
The RC drilling campaigns have commenced with a goal of testing ‘significant’ shallow copper and gold mineralisation intersected at the King Solomon 1 prospect and to target the fixed loop electromagnetic conductor hosted within the Python prospect.
Drilling at the Python prospect will also focus on testing underneath a historical shaft and open pit in the area.
Drilling will begin at the King Solomon 1 prospect before moving to the Python prospect and will comprise about 2,500m of RC drilling which is expected to take 3 to 4 weeks to complete.
Commenting on the drill campaign, Cooper Metals Managing Director, Ian Warland said: “We have been looking forward to drill testing the Python FLEM conductor since it was announced in March this year. The drilling will commence at King Solomon on high priority targets testing depth extension of the down plunge component of three separate Cu-Au shoots, as well as some IP anomalies identified in July.
“We have been looking forward to drill testing the Python FLEM conductor since it was announced in March this year.”
Then it will move to Python to drill 2 holes into the EM conductor and 2 holes underneath the old workings. As usual, promising RC samples with evidence of copper sulphides will be pushed through the laboratory, and the market updated as results come to hand.”
The company also notes that the RC drilling at the Python prospect represents the first ever drilling conducted within the exploration area and will consist of a total of 4 drillholes.
Two of the reported drillholes will target a south-easterly plunging conductor identified by a fixed loop electromagnetic (FLEM) survey last year and is coincident with a ‘significant’ northwesterly trending fault that may have been important in hosting Cu mineralisation.
This south-easterly conductor occurs just below the surface and is reported to be about 300m long and 100m down dip, with rock sampling from this area returning anomalous metals including 0.2% Cu and 0.24% sulphur (S) (MER078).
Meanwhile, drilling within the King Solomon 1 prospect will focus on three plunging shoots of ‘higher grade’ Cu-Au mineralisation that were identified during the previous July/August drilling campaign.
These three plunging shoots are expected to be tested at depth by a total of eleven drillholes for about 1,700m before an induced polarisation (IP) survey is planned to check the depth potential of the mineralisation prior to any diamond drilling (DD).
Cooper Metals is an ASX-listed copper and gold explorer which aims to build shareholder wealth through the discovery of mineral deposits. The company’s flagship Mt Isa East project is located about 30km southeast of the township of Mt Isa in the Mt Isa district of northwest Queensland and covers a total land holding of 1300km-square. The area in which the project is situated is ‘highly prospective’ for iron oxide copper gold (IOCG), iron sulphide copper-gold (ISCG) and shear hosted Cu +/- Au deposits.
With drilling now commenced, Cooper Metals announces that assays from the RC drilling are expected to be fast tracked through the laboratory and announced as the results come to hand.
Images: Cooper Metals Ltd
