Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) has started reverse circulation drilling at six volcanic-hosted massive sulphide targets within its Yerrida North Project, approximately 70km southeast of Sandfire Resources’ (ASX:SFR) DeGrussa deposit.
The 18-hole program for 2,100m is targeting the Archer, Falconer, Seymour, Smith, Howard, and Palmer prospects, which the company interprets as a VHMS camp-style mineralisation system.
Great Western defined these targets through field programs and data compilation, characterised by broad-zoned lead-zinc and copper lag soil anomalies and rock-chip results returning silver, lead, zinc and copper.
Geological mapping identified sedimentary units including siltstones, sandstones and chert with syngenetic volcanic activity featuring pillow and pepperite textured basalts, interpreted as a deep-seafloor environment.
The company believes the mapped units represent a position outboard from a volcanic vent, with potential at depth to define copper mineralisation below a black smoker position of a VHMS system.
The mapped rock units form part of the Killara Formation, which previous studies have determined to be equivalent to the DeGrussa Formation, which hosts Sandfire’s DeGrussa and Monty copper-gold VHMS deposits in the adjacent Bryah Basin.
Fault and geological modelling suggest the sedimentary and volcanic rock units formed within a rift structural regime.
Seymour and Howard are interpreted to be in a folded vent horizon within the copper lag soil anomaly and contain significant rock-chip results.
The Palmer, Smith, and Archer targets are also within the interpreted vent horizon rocks and within a zone of lead-zinc lag soil anomalism, separated by a regional north-south trending structure.
Following completion of drilling at Juggernaut, the company will immediately commence drilling at the Baroo copper-gold target, where two reverse circulation holes are planned to test a previously unmapped quartz vein that returned elevated copper results from rock-chip samples.
Great Western anticipates receiving results from its recently completed air core drilling program at the Diorama copper-gold target later this month.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Images: Great Western Exploration
