Peel Mining Limited (ASX: PEX) announced that the drilling at the Wirlong deposit within its South Cobar Project in NSW has returned very strong copper mineralised intercepts.
Significant hits included 9m @ 4.33% Cu, 14g/t Ag, 0.34g/t Au from 181m within 51m @ 1.35% Cu, 6g/t Ag, 0.11g/t Au from 177m in WLRC068; and 10m @ 4.02% Cu, 16g/t Ag from 275m within 28m @ 1.83% Cu, 8g/t Ag from 263m in WLRC071.
PEX said that the visual inspection and portable XRF analyses have confirmed additional significant zones of chalcopyrite-dominant mineralisation in drilling completed since restarting in mid-January including a broad intersection over more than 160m downhole in WLRC073. Peel Mining said that the assays are pending.
The company noted that the mineralisation is consistent with an electromagnetic conductor plate and a revised structural model supporting Peel’s geophysical and geological modelling. PEX said that the drilling at Wirlong for a maiden mineral resource estimate is continuing.
Drilling at Wirlong
The company had commenced a resource definition drill program at Wirlong comprising of up to ~11,000m of drilling and is anticipated to be completed in the June quarter of 2021.
PEX said that the drilling at Wirlong was designed to test the upper ~300m of the Wirlong Central Zone where high-grade copper (chalcopyrite) mineralisation is believed to be structurally controlled on a NW-SE orientation.
Drilling at Wirlong is part of the Company’s “Hub & Spoke” strategy to advance each of the Company’s deposits to mineable resources, to achieve critical mass in support of a new substantial centrally located processing plant.
Results from RC and DD programs
To date some of the better copper intercepts returned from DD and RC programs at Wirlong prospect included 9m @ 3.29% Cu, 18 g/t Ag from 70m in WLRC035; 27m @ 5.3% Cu, 23 g/t Ag from 286m in WLRC026; 31m @ 3.19% Cu, 11 g/t Ag from 299m in WLRC052; 9m @ 8% Cu, 17g/t Ag, 0.21 g/t Au from 616m in WLDD001; and 17m @ 4.59% Cu, 8 g/t Ag from 738m in WLRCDD043.
Diamond drilling
A program consisting of three diamond drillholes at Wirlong Central was undertaken at the end of 2019/early 2020 to test a new structural model (NW-SE) for the controls on high-grade copper mineralisation.
Assay results returned significant intercepts in all three drillholes with results including 4.26m @ 2.22% Cu, 7 g/t Ag from 380m and 0.74m @ 14.3% Cu, 66 g/t Ag from 396.2m in WLDD003; 1.15m @ 7.71% Cu, 30 g/t Ag from 54.45m and 30m @ 1.64% Cu, 8 g/t Ag from 305m (incl. 14m @ 2.63% Cu, 12 g/t Ag) from 320m in WLDD004; and 5.9m @ 3.19% Cu, 13 g/t Ag from 347.1m in WLDD005.
PEX has now reported further assays from Wirlong.
Thick, high-grade copper intercepts
Peel reported encouraging results from drillholes WLRC068, WLRC069, and WLRC071 at Wirlong deposit. All three drill holes had intersected substantial chalcopyrite-dominant sulphide mineralisation over significant downhole widths.
PEX reported that the recently returned assays have confirmed the presence of very high-grade copper mineralisation. The company noted that the mineralisation is consistent with the position of an electromagnetic conductor plate, and with a revised structural model, supporting Peel’s geophysical and geological modelling.
Better results included 9m @ 4.33% Cu, 14g/t Ag, 0.34g/t Au from 181m within 51m @ 1.35% Cu, 6g/t Ag, 0.11g/t Au from 177m in WLRC068; 6m @ 8.64% Cu, 37g/t Ag, 0.11g/t Au from 255m within 15m @ 3.80% Cu, 17g/t Ag, 0.04g/t Au from 255m in WLRC069; and 10m @ 4.02% Cu, 16g/t Ag from 275m within 28m @ 1.83% Cu, 8g/t Ag from 263m in WLRC071.
Visual inspection and portable XRF analyses
PEX said that the visual inspection and portable XRF analyses had determined that multiple RC drillholes completed since re-start in mid-January intersected significant zones of chalcopyrite-dominant mineralisation.
Significantly, WLRC073 intersected a broad copper mineralised intersection from ~234m downhole to end-of-hole at 396m. The company said that sampling of the relevant mineralised intervals in drilling has been completed or is ongoing with assays pending.
What’s next?
The company said that further drilling (as part of the current resource drilling) and geophysical surveys are planned at Wirlong.
Management comments
Peel Mining Managing Director Rob Tyson said: “These drillholes continue to demonstrate very high copper tenors, akin to those seen in previous drilling. The results highlight Peel’s opinion of the potential of Wirlong as we push towards a maiden mineral resource and emphasize our desire to become Cobar’s next copper-dominant base and precious metals mining Company.
We look forward to receiving the assays for the additional copper intercepts yielded from drilling since restart and reporting them in due course.”
* Images courtesy of Peel Mining Ltd