Perth based Askari Metals has tabled a series of high-grade copper and gold results from a second round of rock chip sampling at its Horry copper project in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Results from the recent sampling include an impressive surface rock chip grading 8.5 per cent copper with 0.71 grams per tonne gold and 42 grams per tonne silver. Other noteworthy rock chip results from the Horry project include a sample going 3.7 per cent copper, 0.63 g/t gold and 12 g/t silver in addition to another that weighed in at 1.0 per cent copper and 5 g/t silver.
Three additional samples from recent rock chip specimens returned greater than 0.5 per cent copper with a further three coming in above 0.2 per cent.
Rock chip samples were taken along an outcropping shear zone that the company says shows visible malachite or copper carbonate along a mapped strike length of 526 metres. Importantly, Askari says mineralisation remains open along strike to the northeast and southwest, however, rock chip samples could not be taken due to surficial colluvium cover.
The assay results received from sampling at Horry support the visible copper mineralisation mapped and show coincident precious metals with supporting indicator minerals.
Askari says the spatial distribution of anomalous results may indicate the potential presence of a separate parallel mineralised zone that it plans to systematically test in the winter of 2022 following the cessation of the ‘wet season’.
Other follow-up exploration activities in the pipeline for winter 2022 include a high-definition magnetic survey and potentially a maiden drill campaign for the Horry copper project.
The presence of copper and gold at Askari’s project should come as little surprise given the historic mine shafts in the immediate area that focussed on structurally controlled copper-gold mineralisation along a discrete shear.
Recent rock chip sampling at the Horry copper project was undertaken to follow up the initial successes from the first phase of sampling that gave up multiple high-grade results including 3.67 per cent copper, 3.13 per cent and 1.12 per cent copper from surface.
The second rock chip program was designed to enhance the company’s understanding of the architecture of the mineralised system to better define future exploration activities.
Askari’s Horry copper project makes up part of the significantly deformed Halls Creek Mobile Belt in the Kimberley Craton.
With cracking surface copper mineralisation hits intersected in two consecutive rock chip sampling programs along over 500m worth of strike, Askari will no doubt be itching to drill test this most intriguing piece of ground.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au
By Matt Birney
