Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX:AIS, OTC:ARSRF) has struck visible copper during diamond drilling at the Constellation deposit within its 100%-owned Tritton tenement in central New South Wales, raising the potential to significantly increase the target’s resource.
Drilling intersected copper sulphide mineralisation 80 metres along strike and 200 metres down-plunge from the current mineral resource estimate, with three out of the four holes completed intersecting visible copper sulphides.
Assay results for two of the four drill holes returned high-grade intercepts including:
- TAKD095 - 25.95 metres at 3.81% copper, 1.12 g/t gold and 10.3 g/t silver; and
- TAKD094 - 5.85 metres at 2.23% copper, 1.14 g/t gold and 3.2 g/t silver.
Assay results are pending for drill hole TAKD097, which visually intersected a 5-metre thick zone of massive to semi-massive/banded sulphides.
The remaining drill hole TAKD098 along the southern margins is considered a ‘near-miss’, with no visible chalcopyrite mineralisation seen.
The drill program will continue into the next quarter with the copper-gold producer and explorer to focus on infilling the current target area to a nominal 80-metre by 80-metre drill spacing, suitable to convert some of the resources to the inferred category.
Constellation drilling highlights.
"Highly encouraging"
“The assays returned for TAKD095 mean it is one of the best intersections we have had at Constellation and significant in the context that it is outside the current mineral resource estimate,” Aeris executive chairman Andre Labuschagne said.
“Three of the four drill holes completed to date in this new drill program have all intersected visible copper sulphide mineralisation down-plunge from the current mineral resource, which is highly encouraging, and demonstrates the potential to significantly increase the reported mineral resource with further drilling.
“Mining studies on Constellation are underway, and an update will be provided in the coming weeks.”