QMines launches EM survey to find ‘Mt Chalmers repeats’
QMines expects the survey will be finished in early February and provide quality data to guide future exploration.
Junior explorer QMines (ASX: QML) has launched an airborne electromagnetic survey over its flagship Mt Chalmers copper-gold project in Queensland.
The 1,814 kilometre survey is designed to identify further volcanogenic massive sulphide (VHMS) deposits within the prospective Beserker Beds target and provide new information to help guide future exploration.
It will involve a helicopter flying during daylight hours at a nominal height of approximately 82m and loop height of 35m above ground level.
Survey lines will be flown in a north-south line direction, with lines expected to be approximately 100m apart.
Data acquired will assist QMines to map the extent of geological features such as rocks, faults, soil types and landforms at Mt Chalmers.
Exciting development
QMines executive chairman Andrew Sparke said the survey is an “exciting development” for the company and its shareholders.
“After extensive advertising and consultation with the community, it is great to see the survey now underway,” he said.
“We hope it will provide a significant amount of quality data to help guide future exploration as we commence our hunt for potential Mt Chalmers repeats.”
The survey is reported to be around 8% complete with recent rainy conditions expected to clear.
Mt Warminster drilling
In December, QMines confirmed it will commence drilling at the Mt Warminster VHMS target, northwest of Mt Chalmers.
It represents the third VHMS deposit to be drilled in the region as the company works towards adding more tonnes to the project’s global resource.
Mt Warminster was modelled by an independent geologist in late 2021 as measuring 500m in strike and up to 350m in width with a thickness ranging from 6m to 40m.
Using a 1% zinc equivalent cut-off, the modelling estimated an exploration target of between 1.5Mt and 1.8Mt grading up to 0.7% zinc, up to 0.2% copper, between 0.25% and 0.35% lead and up to 12g/t silver.
High-grade historic mine
Mt Chalmers is a high-grade historic mine which produced 1.2 million tonnes grading 2.0% copper, 3.6 grams per tonne gold and 19g/t silver between 1898 and 1982.
The project has a current measured, indicated and inferred resource of 11.86Mt at 1.22% copper equivalent for 144,700t copper equivalent.
Mr Sparke said the company aims to extend the current known mineralisation, consolidate assets in the region and assess commercialisation options.
An aggressive exploration program comprising more than 30,000m of drilling is expected to deliver significant leverage to the Mt Chalmers resource base.