Godolphin Resources Limited (ASX: GRL) has announced a positive update on its 100%-owned Copper Hill East (CHE) project in NSW.
The company reported that the soil samples from grid extension have confirmed exciting drill targets at Copper Hill East within the Boda-hosting Molong Volcanic Belt.
GRL reported up to 623ppm copper and 141ppb gold in soil assay results. The company said that geophysical survey is planned to follow up soil anomalies.
The company said that it has commenced a new hyperspectral mapping project which indicates alteration correlation with anomalism identified by the soil results.
Godolphin said that planning is currently underway for 2020 drill program on targets defined by geophysics and soil results.
Copper Hill East project
The Copper Hill East Project consists of two tenements (EL8556, EL8901) covering an area of around 290 km² and is located approximately 35 km north of Orange in New South Wales.
The tenements have a similar geological setting to that published for known porphyry gold-copper occurrences including Cadia-Ridgeway and the Boda project.
CHE project is surrounded by several other GRL tenements including EL8890 (Cumnock) to the west, EL8901 (Caledonian) to the east, and ELs 8323 (Ophir) and 5583 (Lewis Ponds) to the south.
Initial field work
Initial field work at CHE in 2019 included geological mapping and an approximate 7km strike length soil auger sampling program.
This field work was conducted in the northwest section of the tenement and identified a 1500m × 1200m soil copper anomaly (150-500 ppm Cu) based on the initial 160 m × 160 m grid pattern.
Godolphin extended this soil survey in late 2019 and January 2020, in addition to taking rock chip samples in areas of porphyry-style potassic and propylitic alteration in prospective host rocks.
Artisanal copper workings were identified with malachite and native copper mineralisation coincident with prospective porphyry rocks and magnetic targets. Results of rock chip sampling were released on 24 February 2020.
Soil sampling program at CHE
The company had commenced a soil sampling program at Copper Hill East project.
GRL said that all soil sample results have now been received and confirm an extended area of anomalous copper at the Company’s new Larras Lee prospect.
Encouraging soil sample results
The company reported that the recent soil results have significantly extended the Cu in soil anomaly previously identified (2019) and have now indicated a total of four anomalous copper zones with a combined surface area of 6.3km2.
GRL reported that within each of these, is an area with further elevated copper values which may aid in vectoring toward the core of the system.
Coherent anomalies returned
The company reported that the assay results returned coherent anomalies.
The company said that the maximum copper in soil value is 623ppm Cu. The same anomalous copper zones also identified gold in the system with values up to 141ppb Au.
GRL said that the central anomalous copper zone is co-incident with the high copper/gold results from rock samples announced on 24 February 2020.
Planned exploration sequence
GRL reported that ass part of the planned exploration sequence, it has had a consultant review and produce spectral imagery for the Copper Hill East tenement.
The company said that this work is still in the processing and interpretation phase, however, results to date have been very positive, showing correlations with the anomalous areas identified by the soil sample results.
Updates and next steps
Godolphin said that land access to an area in the north of the sample grid has recently been established and soil sampling will be completed in this area as soon as possible. This will potentially extend the two currently separate anomalous zones.
The company said that the areas with anomalous soil and rock chip samples at CHE will be investigated by geophysical means to further define drill targets and facilitate final drill design.
GRL reported that the tenders for the work have been requested and the project will commence as soon as possible, once all quotes/tenders are received.
The company announced that alteration mapping will be conducted on the ground to validate the hyperspectral work and both geophysical studies and drilling of the CHE targets are planned as soon as possible during 2020.
The company said that future work will include geophysical surveys in addition to RC drilling and/or diamond drilling on identified targets.
Management comments
Godolphin’s CEO David Greenwood said: “We are very encouraged by the soil assay results which significantly extend previous soil sampling anomalies and recent rock chip sampling at Copper Hill East in the Molong Volcanic Belt.
We are now planning a geophysical survey at the Larras Lee prospect within our Copper Hill East Project so we can follow up on these excellent soil and rock chip results. The great news for our shareholders is that the work we are doing on the ground is allowing us to identify the most prospective drilling targets.”