Duke Exploration Ltd (ASX:DEX) has received final assays from the reverse circulation (RC) drilling program it started in February at its flagship Bundarra Project.
The assays refer to 22 drill holes totalling 3,697 metres that were completed at the Lone Hand-Clooracorn-Seafood (LCS) prospects.
The drilling at LCS was designed to test structurally controlled copper mineralisation with related copper-in-soils, pXRF anomalism and geophysical conductor highs, and encountered gently east dipping, vein-hosted copper mineralisation.
Highlights
The LCS investigation is part of the scout drilling program focused on primary targets located in the northern portion of the Bundarra Intrusive Complex (BIC).
The targets were previously identified as a direct result of the extensive exploration program conducted in quarters three and four, 2021.
The program covered soil sampling, geological ground truthing and assessment, VTEM and airborne magnetics analysis over the entire BIC area, and a five-hole diamond drilling campaign in January.
Mt Flora Vein-style target
The recent drilling has highlighted a potential Mt Flora vein-style target, which adds to the list of follow up BIC targets emerging as candidates for resource delineation drilling in the future.
Commenting on the results at LCS, managing director Philip Condon said: “Receipt of these assays completes the current phase of drilling for the northern area of the BIC. The results from this drilling are encouraging in that these results are indicative of Mt Flora style gently dipping vein swarms.
“The assays confirm the area around Lone Hand warrants follow-up drilling in the future.
“Further, the receipt of all laboratory assays has confirmed that the previously reported pXRF results are repeatable and slightly conservative.
“We have now initiated a further refined phase of drilling, testing a combination of prioritised intrusive-, breccia- and structural related targets generated from continued analysis of our exploration program results.”
What’s next?
Duke has initiated the next phase of the scout drilling, which aims to test structural and magnetic targets emanating from the integration of Duke and Rankin targets.
This work involves a combination of RC and diamond drill testing and continued geological investigations and ground validation of the targets.