Thor Energy (ASX:THR) plans to kick off a fresh bout of drilling in Q1 2024 at its Alford East Copper-Rare Earth Element (REE) Project in South Australia.
This news comes after Fleet Space Technologies completed ambient noise tomography (ANT) surveys at Alford East, which were designed to delineate the low-velocity weathered troughs that are known to host the oxide copper-gold and REE mineralisation within the project.
Data collected from both surveys was subject to ‘extensive’ processing, leading to the development of a high-resolution 3D seismic velocity model of the subsurface.
Thor says this model has revealed key features of the area such as regions with slower velocity within a high-velocity basement, inferring a 3D geometry of the interpreted variable weather trough and a sheared metasedimentary basement that is anticipated to host mineralisation.
Thor says this newfound understanding of the subsurface will play a key role in guiding and optimising upcoming drilling activities at Alford East.
Fleet Space is currently reviewing the ANT data, integrating the results with Thor’s 3D geological model using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, and generating an improved geological model for drill targeting extensions to the troughs that host ‘higher-grade’ oxide copper-gold mineralisation.
Thor Energy Managing Director Nicole Galloway Warland says Fleet Space’s work over the project was completed in a ‘timely and efficient’ manner.
“As part of the collaboration, Fleet is modelling this data using Thor’s 3D geological model, resulting in a revised geological model to support drill targeting of higher-grade copper and REE mineralisation along-strike of our Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) and in new zones of the Alford Copper Belt.
We look forward to keeping the market updated as the modelling and interpretation results continue to come in.”
“We look forward to keeping the market updated as the modelling and interpretation results continue to come in”
The Alford East Project covers the northern extension of the Alford Copper Belt in the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia.
Thor Energy is a uranium and energy metals-focused explorer with projects in Australia and the US. The company’s assets are prospective for uranium, nickel, copper, lithium and gold.
As of 30 September 2023, the company had $2.16 million cash at hand, according to its latest quarterly report.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Thor Energy
