Talisman Mining (ASX:TLM) reports it has further strengthened its pipeline of ‘high-potential’ exploration targets at the 100%-owned Lachlan Copper-Gold Project in New South Wales.
The results follow the receipt of final results from the recently completed project-wide geophysical surveys.
Despite the effects of wet weather delays, Talisman has been utilising the time to complete the geophysical processing and interpretation of the AEM survey flown in the first half of 2022 and to refine and integrate this with historical datasets to generate numerous high priority targets.
Receipt of both the FALCON Airborne Gravity Gradiometry (AGG) survey data and the processed AEM survey marks the completion of Talisman’s regional-scale surveying.
Fieldwork has already commenced over high-priority areas, with the Company intending to include the strong AEM anomaly at the Kaolin Shaft Prospect as part of its next drilling campaign, scheduled to commence late in the September quarter.
The remaining targets are being systematically evaluated and ranked alongside Talisman’s pre-existing targets, with the results to be used to plan and guide future work.
The combined survey results provide Talisman with a significant step-change in the progression and understanding of geological targets across the Cobar Superbasin and delivers additional momentum towards making a significant discovery.
Addressing the results, Talisman CEO Shaun Vokes said: “These positive geophysical results are a great outcome and demonstrate the exceptional quality of our extensive Central Lachlan project tenement portfolio.
The large number of anomalies generated by our regional-scale geophysical surveys vindicates our investment in these techniques as a mechanism to vector directly to prospective areas below cover.
The team is now working as quickly as possible to prioritise anomalies and generate a drilling work program that will enable us to test systematically and effectively test the targets generated. We are proactively working with all of our stakeholders to make sure we can continue to progress exploration activity on our Lachlan copper-gold projects and progress the drilling of high-priority targets as quickly as possible, notwithstanding the almost constant inclement weather.
Despite the frustrating weather-related access delays, the team has not wasted any time and has done a lot of work behind the scenes over the past 5-6 months to deliver an exceptional pipeline of drill-ready targets.
We are now excited to move ahead with the next phase, which will see us systematically drill test these targets over the coming months and hopefully deliver the eagerly awaited discovery that we have been working so hard to uncover.”
AEM survey anomalies are potentially linked to concealed massive sulphide mineralisation akin to typical Cobar lode-style mineralisation.
Talisman’s geophysical consultants, Southern Geoscience, have ranked all the anomalies by geophysical character, interpreted surrounding geology and any known mineralisation. The anomalies have then been further developed by Talisman’s geologists, with the result that the best anomalies then converted into targets. This interpretation and analysis has identified over 20 anomalies that require further investigation.
AEM targets in the Kaolin Shaft (EL8680) area are scheduled for reverse circulation (RC) drilling late in the September quarter. Preliminary exploration work, including geological mapping and regolith sampling on other high priority AEM anomalies, is currently underway to assist in prioritising these targets and preparing them for drill testing later in 2022 and into 2023.
Talisman previously reported that preliminary analysis and 3D interpretation of AEM survey data had enabled interpretation of structures associated with mineralisation at the Kaolin Shaft prospect, resulting in the interpretation of a secondary, concealed target area at the locus of interpreted structures to the north-east of previous drilling.
Further geological interpretation suggests that the polymetallic mineralisation at both the Kaolin Shaft (Zn-Pb-Cu-Ag-Au)3 and Durnings (Au-Cu) prospects (together the KSDR) may be the up-dip expression of a much larger mineralisation source – located approximately 900m to the north-east.
Best historical results at Durnings include:
- 34m @ 1.34g/t Au from 6m, and 6m @ 2.1% Cu from 32m (DUR-1); and
- 17m @ 3.7g/t Au from 16m including 8m @ 5.3g/t Au from 22m (MD8)
The interpreted Source Target Zone (STZ) is situated at the convergence and intersection of the Bluff Fault Zone and Mineral Hill structure.
Both of these structures have strong relationships to copper mineralisation and are interpreted to be associated with the Mineral Hill mine and the nearby Wilmatha Copper-Gold Porphyry prospect. The STZ area is concealed by shallow cover and no previous exploration is recorded over the area.
Further work by Talisman has also identified NE-SW structures which cross-cut the KSDR and have been interpreted to extend directly into the STZ (inclusive of the composite interpretation of magnetics, AEM, and field data)
Images: Talisman Mining Ltd
