RE: Sunday reading for newbies8 Sep 2019 13:33
Eureka:
Historic data overview confirms targets for fast-track drilling
· Two copper (+ gold) soil anomalies highlighted, the largest extending for 3km
· Main anomaly peaks at 1,315ppm Cu, 540ppb Au in vicinity of previous worked shallow open pit mine
· Drilling review indicates mineralisation in Eureka pit area remains open, with particular focus to the southeast and to depth
· Parallel soil anomaly coincides with Eureka West target where undrilled high-grade copper mineralisation is exposed in trial pit
· Several further geophysical targets not tested
· Near-term drill targets selected subject to surveying of historic drill hole collars and preparatory ground work
Colin Bird, Executive Chairman said: "We are pleased by the outcome of the interim review of the extensive exploration dataset that we have acquired for Eureka. The more we examine the historic information the more we are convinced that the strong structural and geochemical trends, along with significant drill intercepts and past mining history, can be indicators of substantial copper-gold orebodies on the property. Our exploration programme will be directed towards large scale oxide deposits, with sulphides at deeper levels. Initial shallow drilling will test the presence and configuration of these copper bodies. The occurrences of gold is encouraging and is in line with our belief that there is potential iron oxide copper gold (IOCG), Olympic Dam style mineralisation.
Our strategy is different to that of the explorers in the 1960s, in that we are interested in the large scale copper oxide occurrences as well as deeper sulphide material. I look forward to fast-tracking the testing of selected targets and reporting the results to our shareholders".
Summary
The Eureka small-scale mining licence, comprising approximately 345 hectares, is accessed by a 100km dirt road from Kabwe, west of the Zambian Copperbelt district.
Intermittent exploration by previous operators over several decades has generated extensive layers of very useful information, including soil geochemistry, pitting/trenching, ground magnetics, induced polarisation and electromagnetic surveying, structural interpretation, as well as diamond drilling and reverse circulation ('RC') drilling. Xtract has acquired the data and has worked with its technical consultants to review and integrate the various elements in order to assist with early drill target selection.
Of particular interest is a northwest structural corridor with coincident anomalous regional soil geochemistry for copper and gold. The anomaly extends for over 3km, much of it within the Eureka licence, with peak values of 1,315ppm Cu, 540ppb Au located within the area of the shallow Eureka copper pit reported previously.
At Eureka, the study confirms that mineralisation intersected by historic drill holes and partially mined remains open in several directions.