Emmerson Resources Ltd (ASX:ERM) continues to build the scale of the mineralised system at the Hermitage copper-gold discovery in Tennant Creek Project in the Northern Territory with further high-grade copper-gold results.
The company previously fielded an intersection of 116 metres at 3.4% copper (HERCDD003) and the latest round of results confirm that gold, copper and bismuth grades increase with depth and remain open in all directions.
Phase 2 assay results
Diamond drill hole HERCDD006 confirmed that mineralisation continues toward the west, with assays of:
- 52.5 metres at 1.03% copper, 1.36 g/t gold and 0.11% bismuth from 131.5 metres;
- 4 metres at 5.66 g/t gold and 0.47% copper from 141 metres; and,
- 12 metres at 3.39 g/t gold and 3.04% copper from 172 metres, including 3 metres at 12.51 g/t gold and 2.95% copper from 181 metres.
- 5 metres at 1.06 g/t gold, 0.58% copper and 0.13% bismuth from 75 metres; and
- 6 metres at 1.88 g/t gold, 0.83% copper and 0.11% bismuth from 105 metres, including 3 metres at 3.67 g/t gold, 1.38% copper and 0.21% bismuth from 105 metres.
Previous results from the central ironstone include 94.4 metres at 2.74% copper, 5.58 g/t gold, 17.88 g/t silver and 0.44% bismuth from 85 metres. Within this was:
- 17.8 metres at 1.57% copper, 0.22 g/t gold, 0.17% cobalt and 0.11% bismuth from 85 metres;
- 5.8 metres at 3.4% copper, 0.53 g/t gold, 0.33% cobalt and 0.24% bismuth from 95.4 metres;
- 21.2 metres at 2.62% copper from 129 metres;
- 5.8 metres at 11.06% copper, 0.98 g/t gold, 0.15% cobalt and 0.27% bismuth from 150.2 metres;
- 21.6 metres at 4.11% copper, 25.91 g/t gold, 74.89 g/t silver and 1.83% bismuth from 157 metres, including 9.4 metres at 7.27% copper, 58.02 g/t gold and 3.74% bismuth from 159.4 metres and this, in turn, included 4.8 metres at 19.44% copper, 214.39 g/t gold, 103.8 g/t silver, 13.75% bismuth and 0.12% cobalt from 164 metres.
“Now we have all the assay results of the phase 2 drilling, Hermitage is on scale with many of the major historical discoveries in the Tennant Creek Mineral Field,” Emmerson Resources managing director Rob Bills said.
“The grades of copper, gold, cobalt and bismuth are outstanding, as evidenced by angled scissor drill hole HERCDD010, successfully aimed at testing beneath the fault and discovery drill hole HERCDD003 - ranked on a global basis as one of the best intersections for 2021.
“Encouragingly, this phase 2 drilling indicates that the gold, copper and bismuth grades increase with depth and remain open in all directions.
“The addition of cobalt and bismuth to the copper and gold at Hermitage adds to the inventory of future-facing metals relevant to the battery, superconductor, magnet and 3D printing, suite of metals.”
The company’s next steps at Tennant Creek will involve:
- Down hole geophysics and compilation of all data to target the ultra-high grade, down plunge extent of the central ironstone at Hermitage.
- Generation of new projects in the Southern Project Area (SPA) (the SPA is the subject of the Exploration Earn-In and Joint Venture with Tennant Consolidated Mining Group (TCMG)) using the 3,000-line-kilometre high-resolution drone aeromagnetic survey flown in 2021.
- A major drill program is underway in the vicinity of the Golden Forty Mine. It is aimed at testing for extensions and updating the resource model with results to be included in a scoping study that may feed into the Small Mines JV with TCMG and where Emmerson receives a 6% gold production royalty.
- Continuation of further geophysical drone surveys across key areas of the Northern Project Area.