Kingfisher Mining (ASX: KFM) will embark on a second stage drilling campaign at the Copper Blow copper-gold project in New South Wales to support development studies under a mining and processing agreement with Broken Hill Mines (ASX: BHM).
The 10-year agreement establishes the framework for ore from Kingfisher’s 400-square-kilometre portfolio to be mined and processed exclusively at Broken Hill’s wholly owned processing plant at the Rasp silver-lead-zinc mine, which has a capacity of 750,000 tonnes per annum.
Kingfisher’s campaign is expected to extend mineralisation along strike and down plunge at Copper Blow, improving geological confidence within the existing drill footprint and advancing the project toward the completion of a maiden mineral resource estimate.
The results will enable the assessment of processing options under the agreement, using established infrastructure to preserve Kingfisher’s capital structure and allowing it to direct maximum funds into active drilling and resource definition activities.
Targeting Lode Extensions
Drilling at Copper Blow will target extensions to the lodes identified in Kingfisher’s maiden campaign that confirmed the continuity of copper-gold mineralisation across approximately 600 metres of strike length.
That campaign returned best intercepts of 13m at 1.2% copper and 0.26 grams per tonne gold from 23m including 4m at 3.43% copper and 0.74g/t gold, 7m at 2.11% copper and 0.32g/t gold from 116m including 4m at 3.32% copper and 0.53g/t gold, and 14m at 1.13% copper and 0.25g/t gold from 9m including 4m at 2.27% copper and 0.54g/t gold.
The results have validated historical drilling and confirmed the presence of broad zones of mineralisation within the project’s north and south zones.
Initially scheduled to commence earlier in the year, the drilling was temporarily delayed due to weather, access constraints, and the timing of regulatory approvals—all since resolved.
High-Grade Mineralisation
Kingfisher managing director Chris Bittar said the company was keen to get back on the ground at Copper Blow following the completion of approvals and access arrangements.
“This program will be focused on extending known high-grade copper-gold mineralisation and strengthening our understanding of the system as we work toward delivering a maiden resource estimate,” he said.
“Importantly, it supports our broader development strategy following our agreement with Broken Hill Mines, providing a potential pathway to processing Copper Blow ore through existing infrastructure in Broken Hill.”
Kingfisher has engaged specialist geophysical consultants Terra Resources to comprehensively review historical exploration data across its NSW project portfolio, with an initial focus on Copper Blow and the Wellington project, also within the Macquarie Arc.
This work has identified a number of priority geophysical targets at Copper Blow, with scheduling at Wellington currently subject to contractor availability.
