Norfolk Metals (ASX:NFL) reports it is continuing to drill priority targets, increasing its understanding of the potential source and content of mineralisation at the Roger River Project.
The company today (30 December) reports on the maiden drilling program at the Roger River Project, located in the north-western region of Tasmania.
Norfolk Metals says Tasmania is host to several ‘world-class’ base and precious metal deposits such as Rosebury (MMG) and Mount Lyell (New Century Zinc).
Norfolk Metals says Tasmania is host to several ‘world-class’ base and precious metal deposits such as Rosebury (MMG) and Mount Lyell (New Century Zinc)
The Roger River Project is comprised of 2 exploration licenses (ELs) coving 261km-square and over 30km strike of the highly prospective Roger River Fault zone, which is host to several gold and copper occurrences as well as alteration, silicification and diatreme breccias typical of epithermal precious metal deposits.
Previous exploration by Leached Cap during 2016 defined anomalous arsenic and gold in associated splays off the main fault system. In June of this year, Norfolk completed a detailed gravity, and drone magnetics geophysical survey generating new targets for drill testing.
Commenting on Roger River, Executive Chairman Ben Phillips says: “As we continue to drill our priority targets, we increase our understanding of the potential source and content of mineralisation at Roger River.
The exclusion of visual native copper in the second hole highlights the importance of the first hole noting they are approximately 2km apart. Upon completion of the maiden drill program we can expect to compile enough information to present geological insights into the mineral relevance and prospectivity of this exciting virgin belt in North West Tasmania.”
In all sample intervals, the native copper observed in the whole/uncut drill core is not as pervasive in the basalt wall rock. Consequently, the visually concentrated copper in each sample interval is from the narrow veinlets resulting in 0.05% to 0.18% Cu assays.
However, to get a better understanding of the possible variability that the coarse native Cu may cause in the assay results, selected pulverised samples have been re-homogenized and resent for Cu screening analysis using 50g (original sample 25g) aqua regia 4-acid digest.
Norfolk Metals reports this will provide larger sample size for duplicates with each sample being analysed four times via aqua regia and four acids for Cu.
The narrow veins in 22RRD-001 that contain native copper are commonly sub-parallel to the core axis (the hole path), therefore, it may be possible that a hole drilled perpendicular to 22RRD-001 may intersect more vein sets with more significant grades.
The anomalous copper-in-soils values to the south of 22RRD-001 (on an orientation line) requires follow-up additional soil sampling. As a result, a low-cost soil sampling program has been submitted to MRT to assist in defining the surface expression of the native copper in 22RRD-001.
In hole 22RRD-002, Induced Polarisation (IP) is also being considered as a geophysics tool to define the broad 22RRD-002.
The hole has been completed and logged with no significant mineralisation observed. Hence, no sample intervals have been submitted for analysis.
Hole 22RRD-003 is reportedly in progress. It is currently around 270m with the drill target expected around 320m.
The company says the next steps at Roger River and Orroroo in the coming months, indicatively include continued drilling; reporting on the results of the Cu screen analysis from ALS; and considering IP survey over anomaly 2 (A2) to locate possible sulphide mineralisation associated with the native Cu intersected in the first hole (RRD-001).
