Eagle Mountain Mining Limited (ASX: EM2) has announced that the initial technical report from Dr. Larry Meinert, a world-renowned expert on skarns and associated mineralisation, has further enhanced the potential for mineralisation on the Leatherwood intrusive lower contact at OREX prospect within the Oracle Ridge Project in Arizona, USA.
The company reported that UAV magnetic survey for OREX has been completed and results are being processed for drill targeting.
Review by skarn expert Dr. Meinert
The company had engaged Dr. Larry Meinert, a world-renowned expert on skarns and associated mineralisation to provide support to Eagle Mountain’s technical team.
Dr. Meinert had commenced a review which included examination of drill core, mapping of underground formations, and assay analysis. EM2 said that a detailed report has now been provided by the world-renowned skarn expert.
Positive report from skarn expert
The company announced that a positive report was received from Skarn Expert Dr. Meinert on further prospectivity at Oracle Ridge.
Key conclusions from Dr. Meinert’s report include the following:
- The southern extension to the Oracle Ridge mine area is prospective for additional copper-rich mineralisation.
- Potential for additional skarn-hosted mineralisation exists in the central and southern part of the Oracle Ridge mine area beneath the Leatherwood intrusive and forms a prime target for deeper drilling.
- Aeromagnetics is an effective tool in targeting copper mineralisation at Oracle Ridge.
- Detailed logging of minerals across the deposit will allow vectoring towards copper-rich zones.
It may be noted that recent drilling had confirmed the southern part of the Oracle Ridge mineralised system to be well endowed in copper, silver, and gold with outstanding results including 15.1m @ 1.72% Cu, 16.87g/t Ag and 0.38g/t Au from 313.9m; 12.7m @ 3.96% Cu, 49.11g/t Ag and 1.38 g/t Au from 363.1m; 13.3m @ 2.43% Cu, 52.6g/t Ag and 0.94g/t Au from 348.7m; and 8.4m @ 2.8% Cu, 18.75g/t Ag and 0.61g/t Au from 285.6m.
The company said that Dr. Meinert will continue to collaborate with Eagle Mountain’s technical team to further improve the knowledge of the mineralisation system, evaluate exploration results at near mine targets including OREX, and define new prospective areas in the Oracle Ridge region.
Further work
The company said that the next steps would include finalising results of the magnetic survey at OREX for drill targeting; confirming mobilisation of a third diamond drill rig to site; undertaking geochemical evaluation of the OREX outcrops to assist vectoring towards potential sources of the mineralisation found at surface; undertaking additional structural modelling in the central and southern zones of the Oracle Ridge mine and project these zones towards the Leatherwood intrusive contact for drill targeting; and continuing diamond drilling in the southern zone of Oracle Ridge mine in the area coinciding with the strong magnetic anomaly.
“Dr Meinert’s review…further enhances our view that the area below the Leatherwood intrusive in the mine area is prospective for further high-grade mineralisation”
Management comments
Eagle Mountain Mining CEO Tim Mason said: “Dr Meinert’s review of drill core, mineral assemblages and assays substantially supports and further enhances our view that the area below the Leatherwood intrusive in the mine area is prospective for further high-grade mineralisation.
This review also adds confidence to our recent discovery of high-grade mineralisation outcropping along a 4 kilometre exposure of the Leatherwood lower contact at surface at OREX. The combination of this discovery and Dr Meinert’s review provides further credibility that OREX is an exciting prospective target area. We are completing a UAV magnetic survey to define drill targets.
Dr Meinert’s work on geochemical ratios pointed to additional potential skarn mineralisation in the southern areas of the mine. This area coincides with both a magnetic high anomaly over 750m long and the recent discovery of high-grade mineralisation along the upper Leatherwood intrusive contact, with drilling to be prioritised in this area.“
Image Source: Eagle Mountain Mining Limited