Tennant Minerals (ASX:TMS) has posted the deepest copper intersection to date at the Bluebird copper-gold East discovery, as part of its wholly owned Barkly Project, in the Northern Territory.
The $24.45 million market capitalisation company says the intersection has returned ‘significant’ copper mineralisation at more than 400m below surface in a north-to-south diamond drillhole (BBD0048) at Bluebird, as well as a 14m zone of ‘strong’ hematite alteration.
Acting Chairman Neville Bassett says further drilling is planned to “define an enlarged footprint and generate a maiden mineral resource with potential to support a stand-alone mining and processing operation at Bluebird”.
Tennant reports hole BBD0048 is the second copper intersection at Bluebird East. Thisindicates the discovery could link with the Bluebird main zone over an 800m strike length and 400m vertically, remaining open in all directions.
New gold, bismuth, and copper results have also been received from the Bluebird eastern extension, including hole BBRC0026 with 22m @ 0.9% copper equivalent (CuEq) — the shallowest ‘significant’ intersection at Bluebird to date.
According to Tennant, hole BBRC0026 is open to surface, highlighting potential to fast-track production through initial open pit mining.
Meanwhile, additional results from the Bluebird western zone demonstrate ‘thick’ and relatively shallow copper with gold intersections.
Further results are expected to be received in the next 4 to 6 weeks from the 2 copper mineralised intersections from the Bluebird East discovery and an intensely copper mineralised intersection in drillhole BBDD0045 from Bluebird western zone.
Drilling is scheduled to resume at Bluebird following the wet season to further test and define the Bluebird East discovery and targeted extensions of the mineralisation to the west.
Bassett says: “The intersection of the deepest copper mineralisation to date at the Bluebird East discovery indicates potential for Bluebird to continue from surface to more than 400m depth.
The latest copper, gold and bismuth intersections have also confirmed continuity of copper-gold mineralisation along the entire identified strike-length of the Bluebird discovery.”
Tennant Minerals is an explorer and developer with copper-gold projects in the Tennant Creek area of the Northern Territory.
As of 30 September 2023, Tennant Minerals had $3.021 million cash and cash equivalents at hand, according to its quarterly report.
Write to Adam Drought at Mining.com.au
Images: Tennant Minerals
