Copper explorer Noronex (ASX:NRX) has reported a string of fresh drilling hits from its new Humpback Project in Namibia, with several areas now earmarked for follow-up drilling.
The company drilled 17 reverse circulation (RC) holes for 4,900m across its Humpback tenements, with the new copper results coming from the Fiesta and Blowhole prospects.
At Fiesta, which Noronex says has ‘many hallmarks’ of other defined deposits in Botswana nearby, hole 23FIERC02 returned 45m @ 0.8% copper and 23 grams per tonne (g/t) silver from 144m, including 13m @ 1.5% copper and 45 g/t silver from 150m.
Step-out hole 23FORRC03 returned 1m@ 0.6% copper and 35 g/t silver from 233m, 5m @ 0.44% copper and 12 g/t silver from 241m, and 13m @ 0.32% copper and 8 g/t silver from 253m.
Meanwhile, to the west of the main zone in the prospect area, Noronex drilled 2 holes to test extensions to the system. The top result from these holes included 13m @ 0.23% copper and 6 g/t silver from 157m.
The company says the drilling work has given it a new understanding of the mineralisation at Fiesta and ‘significantly’ extended the known length of the mineralised horizon and the known size of the deposit.
As for the Blowhole prospect, Noronex struck anomalous copper and silver in the first-ever hole drilled in this area.
Hole 23BHRC07 at Blowhole struck 3m @ 0.15% copper and 14 g/t silver from 238m.
The company says further work is required at this prospect and will be planned for upcoming programs.
Noronex Chief Geologist Bruce Hooper says: “The Fiesta deposit is continuing to deliver positive copper intercepts at significant step-outs on the main horizon, which is very encouraging for the potential size of the Fiesta Copper system and the surrounding region under shallow cover.
The whole 100% owned Humpback project, supported by the drilling at Fiesta and Blowhole, provides numerous favourable structural settings for large deposits that have never been previously drilled.”
“The whole 100% owned Humpback project, supported by the drilling at Fiesta and Blowhole, provides numerous favourable structural settings for large deposits that have never been previously drilled”
Along with its Namibian tenements along the Kalahari Copper Belt, Noronex also owns exploration projects in Ontario, Canada.
The company had roughly $1.2 million cash and cash equivalents at hand as of 30 September 2023, according to its latest quarterly report.
Write to Joshua Smith at Mining.com.au
Images: Noronex
