Lodestar Minerals (ASX:LSR) is focusing on iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) targets identified in the southern prospect of the Darwin Project in Chile after the return of assays from its maiden reverse circulation drilling program.
Assays from 16 drillholes over 2,026m includes 8m @ 0.56 grams per tonne gold from 96m and 1m @ 0.68g/t gold from 35m, as well as 2m @ 0.48g/t gold and 0.51% copper from 30m.
The company has booked an aeromagnetics survey for July, which intends to identify “high-quality” targets for September drilling, along with a soil sampling program to follow up previously identified IOCG halo alteration and mineralisation.
Lodestar expects the geochemistry results to be returned in early September, with the soil samples being assayed by x-ray fluorescence and gold analysis to be conducted in the laboratory.
Head of Exploration Coraline Blaud says the company is pleased with the site’s progress following a recent visit which focused on refining the targets for the upcoming field program.
“During the visit, we identified several new priority areas for detailed geological mapping and geochemical sampling. These targets will form a key part of our next phase of exploration,” Blaud says.
“Additionally, the latest batch of drilling results continues to enhance our understanding of the broader project area. These results support our ongoing, systematic exploration strategy, aimed at uncovering potential IOCG and porphyry-style deposits.”
Meanwhile, Lodestar has appointed Chilean geologist Gonzalo J Henríquez as a technical advisor for the company.
Henríquez is also currently working with the Centre for Exploration Targeting at the University of Western Australia by developing prospective tools to assess fertility of copper-molybdenum-gold deposits.
Lodestar Minerals is a base metal and gold explorer with a portfolio of projects across Western Australia and Chile.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Lodestar Minerals
