QMines defines 34 anomalies from VTEM survey over Mt Chalmers copper-gold project
Further analysis of the recently defined VTEM Max survey targets has pinpointed five “high-quality” electromagnetic conductors with coincident soil anomalies.
QMines (ASX: QML) has confirmed that a geophysical survey completed last month at its flagship Mt Chalmers copper-gold project in north Queensland has located 34 electromagnetic anomalies for field investigation.
The VTEM (versatile time domain electromagnetic) Max survey also identified five “high quality” conductors with coincident soil anomalies which may be related to regional volcanic hosted massive sulphide (VHMS) systems similar to Mt Chalmers.
QMines is now conducting a ground-breaking induced polarisation and resistivity analysis in an effort to find further hidden anomalies.
The analysis is able to discriminate between shallow targets and surface “noise” and will be funded by a grant under the Queensland Government’s Collaborative Exploration Initiative which supports the exploration of critical minerals.
VHMS corridor
QMines selected the VTEM survey area to coincide with the most prospective VHMS corridor through the volcanic Berserker Beds.
The area is host to multiple large copper-zinc soil geochemical anomalies as well as the Mt Chalmers mine and satellite exploration targets.
The survey consisted of 1,814 line-kilometres flown north-to-south at 100m line spacings within the company’s tenement holdings.
Tasmanian consultancy Mitre Geophysics identified and ranked 34 electromagnetic anomalies for field investigation.
Five of these have been considered high quality conductors which are not due to man-made objects identified in aerial imagery.
VTEM method
QMines said it chose the VTEM method due to its “superior ground and conductive overburden penetration” enabled by a high dipole moment transmitter.
It is capable of locating discrete conductive anomalies as well as mapping vertical and lateral variations in resistivity.
It includes a high sensitivity magnetometer, with electromagnetic and magnetic data collected and collated separately.
Exploration efforts
Managing director Andrew Sparke said the VTEM survey would assist exploration efforts at Mt Chalmers.
“We have been compiling regional data on the Mt Chalmers project for the past 24 months and the addition of high-quality electromagnetic and magnetic imagery gives us a multi-layered dataset with five high-quality targets and supporting geochemistry and geology,” he said.
“The potential for a new discovery is now significantly improved and we will commence drilling operations to test these targets over the coming weeks.”