West Cobar Metals (ASX:WC1) has announced it is preparing drilling programs at its Cobar West Copper Project in New South Wales and Salazar Critical Minerals Project in Western Australia.
Initial aircore drilling at the Blind Freddie copper target is scheduled to begin this quarter, subject to final approvals. The program will test a large surface copper anomaly associated with a gravity high.
West Cobar is also progressing land access agreements for a ground gravity survey at the nearby Lilyvale prospect. The survey is scheduled for the September quarter, with processing and interpretation planned for the following quarter.
The company holds 1,091km² of tenure covering 120km of prospective stratigraphy across the Cobar region.
Its Cobar West portfolio includes the Bulla Park copper–antimony–silver (Cu-Sb-Ag) deposit, which hosts an inferred mineral resource of 20 million tonnes (Mt) @ 0.58% Cu equivalent. This comprises 0.3% Cu, 0.1% Sb, and 4.7 grams per tonne Ag.
Bulla Park was discovered beneath between 60m and 120m of barren cover and remains open beyond the current resource boundary.
Meanwhile, West Cobar is planning closer-spaced aircore drilling at the Newmont deposit within Salazar to define and extend higher-grade scandium zones.
The program will target existing intersections including 13m @ 318 parts per million scandium oxide (Sc₂O₃) from 9m, which contains 3m @ 649ppm Sc₂O₃ from 10m. Drilling is expected to begin once approvals are received.
Newmont hosts an inferred mineral resource of 15Mt @ 153ppm Sc₂O₃ within shallow saprolite-hosted mineralisation.
Managing Director Matt Szwedzicki says the company is finalising drilling plans and approvals at both projects.
“At Cobar West, we are finalising drilling approvals and plans for Blind Freddie, looking to test a large and unusual surface copper anomaly coupled with a gravity high,” Szwedzicki says.
West Cobar is also continuing metallurgical testwork and development studies at Salazar, alongside discussions regarding US funding and potential offtake arrangements.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: West Cobar Metals
