New Frontier Minerals (ASX:NFM) has reported rock chip assays up to 6.88% copper (Cu) from fieldwork at the Mt Storm Copper prospect within its NWQ Copper Project in North West Queensland.
The company collected eight rock chip and grab samples from historical pits, mine dumps, and surrounding country rock during geological mapping. Laboratory analysis by ALS (ASX:ALQ) Perth returned copper grades ranging from 0.49% to 6.88% for pit and dump samples.
Sequential leach testing returned acid-soluble copper values of up to 6.83% from the ‘highest-grade’ sample, which assayed 6.88% Cu. New Frontier says the results indicate the copper is predominantly hosted in oxide and secondary minerals.
“Copper grades of up to 6.88% at surface, together with acid-soluble copper recoveries, confirm the historical results that first drew our attention to a prospect that has already produced ore grade material at around 6% copper,” Chairman Gerrard Hall says.
Historical mining at Mt Storm produced about 1,100 tonnes of ore grading between 4.5% and 7% Cu. Previous sampling also returned up to 10.4% Cu across 0.6m on the western cherty malachite vein.
New Frontier has outlined an Exploration Target of 0.5–3.7 million tonnes grading 0.5–1.5% Cu, containing between 2,500 and 55,500 tonnes Cu. The company notes the estimate is conceptual in nature and that insufficient exploration has been completed to estimate a mineral resource.
New Frontier plans to resume geological mapping at Mt Storm this month. The company says the work will refine its geological model and support future drill planning, while landowner engagement, cultural heritage planning, and site access arrangements continue.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: New Frontier Minerals
