AuKing Mining unlocks high-grade copper-zinc-silver intersections at Onedin deposit
AuKing Mining chief executive officer Paul Williams says securing the 75% ownership of Koongie Park was an “important milestone”.
Final assays from drilling at the Onedin deposit within the Koongie Park copper-zinc project in Western Australia have unlocked further high-grade copper, zinc and silver intersections for owner AuKing Mining (ASX: AKN).
Results for the last three diamond holes of a seven-hole program are believed to complement significant mineralisation to the south of one of the first holes drilled which reported 105.3m at 1.94% copper, 0.76% zinc, 0.70% lead, 55 grams per tonne silver and 106 parts per million molybdenum from 46m.
Best intervals were 66m at 1.67% copper, 17.57% zinc, 4.03% lead, 94.68g/t silver, 0.38g/t gold and 1,718ppm molybdenum from 77m including 49m at 1.88% copper, 19.06% zinc, 3.21% lead, 73g/t silver and 2,312ppm molybdenum from 80m; 8.7m at 3.28% copper, 22.71% zinc, 8.01% lead, 190g/t silver and 3,776ppm molybdenum from 119m; and 5m at 2.70% copper, 22.79% zinc, 12.78% lead, 332g/t silver and 0.85g/t gold from 135.5m.
Also recorded were intervals of 82m at 0.46% copper, 4.45% zinc, 1.26% lead, 33g/t silver and 409ppm molybdenum from 98m including 21m at 0.75% copper, 12.99% zinc, 3.97% lead, 85g/t silver and 1,356ppm molybdenum from 148m; and 11m at 1.16% copper, 14.8% zinc, 5.99% lead, and 122g/t silver from 162m.
“Exceptional results”
Chief executive officer Paul Williams said the company had now received results from the full drilling program at Onedin.
“We have reported a full set of exceptional results from drilling these final three holes highlight the continuity of high-grade copper, zinc, lead, silver and molybdenum across the deposit,” he said.
“If we can establish economic recoveries from our metallurgical testwork program, Onedin will be well on the way to becoming a significant mining development opportunity.”
Stage 1 of the testwork program will be conducted with Perth-based Simulus Laboratories to demonstrate economic metal recoveries compared to conventional process treatments; optimise reagant usage and doses; conduct initial processing kinetics; and investigate likely product options.
The program is scheduled for completion within eight weeks.
Highly-mineralised location
Koongie Park is situated in WA’s highly-mineralised Halls Creek region and comprises 15 mining, exploration and prospecting licences over an area of more than 500 square kilometres.
The project has an existing resource of 6.8 million tonnes at 1.3% copper, 4.1% zinc, 0.3g/t gold and 26g/t silver.
It remains significantly under-explored at depth and along strike and believed to be highly prospective for further volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) base metal mineralisation discoveries.