During the June quarter, Revolver Resources (ASX: RRR) continued work at its Dianne project in Queensland, which contains one of the world’s highest grade historical copper mines.
The project is in the state’s polymetallic Hodgkinson Province and previously yielded grades exceeding 22% copper when it was operated between 1979 and 1983.
Dianne was both an open cut and underground operation and Revolver says much of the massive sulphide copper lens orebody remains.
Drilling during the June quarter at the project uncovered 3.5m at 13.87% copper, including 1m at 19.8% copper. These intercepts came from the remaining massive sulphide copper lens.
Analysis of ore from the recent 17-hole for 2,994m diamond drilling program indicates mineralisation was intersected over 150m of strike and to 200m below surface.
In the primary massive sulphide zone, which was the previously mined lens, drilling indicates the width is 2.7m with grades up to 5.5% copper and 7.6% zinc.
Drilling has also delineated an adjoining area of continuous copper oxide mineralisation, which has been named the Green Hill supergene zone.
This zone extends 145m by 200m, with widths between 10m and 50m.
Highlight results from drilling in this zone were 50m at 0.91% copper from 13m, including 5.2m at 3.72% copper; 49m at 0.97% copper from surface, including 4.9m at 1.51% copper and 25.7m at 1.21% copper.
Revolver says this mineralisation remains open to the north, south and west.
Polymetallic upside
In addition to copper, Revolver has identified zinc, silver, gold and cobalt at Dianne.
When targeting a down dip extension to the massive sulphide mineralisation, drilling intercepted 0.32m at 0.89% copper, 2.92% zinc and 440 parts per million cobalt from 234.2m.
The new data will be included in a JORC resource for the project, which is scheduled for release later this year.
Revolver noted it was continuing to accumulate information on the project, which offers a variety of pathways to take it forward.
“ growing similarities with deposits like 29 Metals’ Golden Grove mine and Sandfire Resources’ DeGrussa mine.”
Advancing Dianne
Revolver’s exploration at the project will focus on both discovering extensions to the massive sulphide copper lens and Green Hill oxide mineralised zone.
Geophysics surveys have also identified an “exciting new anomaly” beneath the main Dianne massive sulphide copper lens.
The anomaly has an identical conductive response to the massive sulphide lens, which is closer to the surface.
In the upcoming quarters, CORE Resources will undertake initial metallurgical test work on drill samples from the recent program.
Additional exploration will comprise down hole electromagnetic and fixed-loop electromagnetic surveys, which are already in progress.
Also underway are mapping and sampling around the deposit and further afield to assess regional potential.
A tenement-scale heliborne EM survey is planned to begin later this month.
Osprey project
Revolver’s Osprey project is within Queensland’s north-west minerals province.
Exploration at the asset has confirmed it contains characteristics of both iron oxide-copper-gold mineralisation and a Mt Isa style copper system.
Upcoming work at Osprey will involve reviewing all data at hand, along with analysis of more than 500 samples from historical drill core. The samples will be evaluated for numerous minerals including rare earths and gold.
These results are expected in the September quarter.
An airborne geophysics program is schedule to begin at the project in September, which will assist with identifying targets for drilling in the December quarter.
Revolver closed out the June quarter with $7.3 million in the bank.
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