Auris Minerals intersects visible copper at Forrest project
During infill drilling at Auris Minerals’ Forrest deposit, visible copper has been noted.
Gold and base metals explorer Auris Minerals (ASX: AUR) has identified visible copper in two zones during drilling of the first hole of a new program at its Forrest project in Western Australia’s Bryah Basin.
The company is drilling six diamond holes for 2,540m at the associated Forrest and Wodger projects to infill and test for dip and plunge extensions.
Auris has an existing resource of 2.4 million tonnes at 1.7% copper for 41,500 tonnes of contained metal.
Forrest is located 130km north of Meekatharra.
Auris has consolidated a tenement portfolio in the Bryah Basin of 1,369sq km, which is divided into eight project areas: Forrest, Cashman, Cheroona, Doolgunna, Morck Well, Feather Cap, Milgun and Horseshoe Well.
This is the latest drill program at Forrest, with previous drilling returning up to 8.28% copper and 34.1g/t gold in February 2019.
Drilling to infill previous good copper hits
Auris had then completed drilling at the Forrest and Wodger prospects with better intersections from Forrest of 33m at 1.25% copper from 276m, including a 16m interval assaying 1.54% copper from 293m.
Mineralisation at Forrest remains open in all directions.
The completed drill hole of the current program is designed to infill the current copper resources, along strike and up dip from previous significant copper intercepts.
Those earlier results, apart from the 33m cited above, also included 8.5m at 1.06% copper from 382m down hole.
This new hole intersected two zones of visual copper mineralisation — between 299.3m and 309.05m and between 314.4m and 321.4m down hole — within sheared and oxidised mafic and ultramafic rocks of the Narracoota Formation.
The diamond drill rig is now working on the second hole which is designed to test for mineral resource extensions.
Also exploring 1Moz gold project in NZ
Auris managing director Mike Hendriks said he was excited at the prospect of seeing the second hole after it is drilled.
“With work also continuing apace at Sams Creek in New Zealand, we have a busy pipeline of exploration activity to report on in the coming months,” he added.
The Sams Creek gold project is located in the northwest of NZ’s South Island and comprises two exploration permits, one held in a joint venture with OceanaGold Corporation (ASX: OGC) and the other 100%-owned.
The project was acquired last year from Sandfire Resources (ASX: SFR).
The deposit in Nelson province is in what has been described as an “exceptionally rugged” country, with the gold project having passed through several hands since being discovered in 1974 by CRA Exploration, part of what is now Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO).
Sams Creek has a 1Moz resource.