Zenith Minerals hits massive copper-zinc sulphides in maiden drilling at Develin Creek

Junior explorer Zenith Minerals (ASX: ZNC) has intersected massive copper-zinc sulphides at the Wilsons North and Snook targets during drilling at its wholly-owned Develin Creek project in Queensland.

The three rig campaign kicked off in September with 46 holes for 6,148m. Drilling focused on Wilsons North, Snook and four targets which surround an existing JORC resource at the Sulphide City deposit.

Resource update drilling was also completed at the Scorpion deposit where recent work returned strong massive copper-zinc sulphides in a twin hole program with highlights of 34m at 3.5% copper-zinc, including 10m at 6% copper-zinc; and 29m at 3.5% copper-zinc, including 12.3m at 6.7% copper-zinc.

Testing targets

The first drill hole of the program was designed to test geophysical and geochemical targets at Wilsons North and intersected 2m of massive sulphides grading 0.8% copper from 25m below surface, with three follow-up holes hitting a total of 7m of massive to semi-massive sulphides.

The massive sulphides occurred within a sequence of basalts and interflow sediments extending over a 1.5 kilometre-long target zone, with mineralisation remaining open to the north and east.

Drilling of 25 holes at Snook returned similar intersections and extended the mineralisation footprint to 150m, and remains open along strike and to the south.

High-tenor results included 2m at 2% copper, 3.4% zinc, 0.6% lead, 77 grams per tonne silver and 0.6g/t gold.

Step-out drilling is being used as the sole method to track the massive sulphides after a trial downhole electromagnetic geophysical program failed to provide an alternative.

High-grade zones

Twelve holes drilled at the Sulphide City deposit intersected wide high-grade massive copper-zinc sulphide zones with highlights of 12m at 2.6% copper, 5.2% zinc, 73g/t silver and 1.4g/t gold; 12m at 1.5% copper, 0.5% zinc, 3.6g/t silver and 0.2g/t gold; and 16m at 1.7% copper, 3.4g/t silver and 0.1g/t gold.

The zones comprised 28m of sulphides and 44m of massive pyrite, ending in massive pyrite.

The new results add to previous assays from three diamond holes at Sulphide City which Zenith confirmed in July to be high-grade copper and zinc zones in the centre of the deposit.

Those results were 29m at 2.3% copper, 1.2% zinc, 0.3g/t gold and 4.2g/t silver including 12.3m at 4.2% copper, 2.5% zinc, 0.6g/t gold and 7.3g/t silver; and 34m at 2.0% copper, 1.5% zinc, 0.2g/t gold and 4.9g/t silver including 10m at 3.9% copper, 0.4% zinc, 0.3g/t gold and 6.9g/t silver.

Broader plan

Zenith chief executive officer Michael Clifford said the maiden program was part of the company’s broader plan to add potential new tonnages to the copper-zinc volcanogenic massive sulphide inventory at Develin Creek.

“Discovering a new zone of massive copper sulphides at Wilsons North and extending the strike of the high-tenor zone at Snook is a testament to the perseverance of our exploration teams,” he said.

“Both mineralised zones remain open ended and will be the subject of follow-up drilling in the new year.”