Helix Resources (ASX:HLX) is planning to launch a downhole electromagnetic (DHEM) survey for 3 or 4 holes in the next 2 weeks at its Bijoux copper prospect in the Cobar-Nyngan area of central New South Wales.
The copper-focused explorer expects the survey results to guide the next phase of drilling to test the sulphide copper zones which are thought to extend vertically from the shallow oxide zones so far intersected over 140m along strike.
Helix reports multiple copper intersections from scout reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the Bijoux prospect, which is part of an aggressive target generation and testing program aimed at making new copper (and gold) discoveries in the Cobar-Nyngan area of central New South Wales.
Drill testing of the Bijoux target in the southern Rochford Trend was recently completed and this report is a preliminary summary of encouraging observations of copper mineralisation in seven of those RC drillholes.
A total of 9 RC holes (BJRC006 to BJRC014) for 1,716m were completed. Two holes (BJRC007 and BJRC008) followed up on anomalous copper intercepts in 2 holes from 2020 (BJRC001 and BJRC002) and the remaining seven holes were drilled within the recently updated Bijoux copper anomaly.
Visible oxide and sulphide copper mineralisation was intersected in 7 holes, outlining a 140m NNW-trending mineralised zone that dips steeply to the north-northeast (NNE) and is open to the north and at depth.
Meanwhile, Helix decided to pause drilling to conduct downhole geophysics after observing new copper mineralisation in the 7 RC drillholes at Bijoux.
Helix Resources Executive Technical Director Kylie Prendergast says this week the company’s geologists are observing oxide-copper minerals, as well as drilling hitting some sulphide-copper intervals reaffirms Helix’s interpretations.
“These are highly encouraging results, but we need to pause the drilling to utilise downhole geophysics and the drill assays to enable us to better vector the next round of drilling into primary copper mineralisation that we are targeting.
As Mike (Rosenstreich), a baseball fan, stated during the AGM presentation ‘we are loading the bases’ by building up a large number of copper targets. These results bode well for the major drill program we are planning for 2024 to test many of these new, multi-faceted targets and ‘score some runs’ for shareholders..”
Helix reports some of the ‘significant’ intervals logged include hole BJRC012 with 25m of oxide copper mineralisation, weak to strong malachite from 49m; and hole BJRC010 with 4m of weak to strong chalcopyrite veins up to 5% from 183m.
Further data is required to resolve the geometry and structure of the mineralisation intersected to date, hence Helix’s decision to conduct DHEM surveys.
Helix Resources is an ASX-listed minerals explorer primarily focused on exploring in the prolific copper producing region of Cobar, New South Wales.
As of 30 September 2023, the company had $4.2 million cash at hand, according to its latest quarterly report.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Helix Resources
