Helix Resources Ltd (ASX:HLX) has enhanced the prospectivity of the Canbelego Main Lode at depth through deep diamond drilling at the Canbelego Copper Project joint venture with Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX:AIS) in western NSW.
Drill testing of a ‘high-order’ conductive geophysical target has returned visible copper sulphide minerals in drill core over 14 metres from 594 metres downhole.
While assays are pending, the mineralisation in diamond hole CANDD016C occurs in the Canbelego Main Lode position and is potentially continuous with significant copper intercepts about 200 metres higher in the mineralised shear.
Below inferred resource
This interval, which comprises chalcopyrite veins and stringers and a 1-metre interval of semi-massive chalcopyrite, occurs 320 metres below the base of the 2010 inferred mineral resource of 1.5 million tonnes at 1.2% copper.
Helix managing director Mike Rosenstreich said: “We have hit copper mineralisation a long way below the base of the current 2010 mineral resource at 320 metres.
"It is nearly 200 metres ‘up-plunge’ to the next intercept in diamond hole-12 which hit 14.3 metres at 1.96% copper, including 8.3 metres at 2.82% copper.”
Semi-massive chalcopyrite mineralisation in drill core from CANDD016C.
About Canbelego JV
The Canbelego Project lies along the regional scale Rochford Copper Trend and is within the 70:30 ‘contributing’ joint venture with Aeris Resources. Helix holds 70% and is project manager while Aeris has 30%.
A diamond drilling program commenced in December 2022 to test the depth continuity of copper mineralisation within the Canbelego Main Lode Shear.
It has been a bold initiative to step down 200 metres below the level of any previous drill intercepts with two diamond core 'parent’ holes creating the platform for DHEM surveys and further daughter drill holes.
The DHEM surveys from parent holes (CANDD015 and 16) each generated highly conductive geophysical targets interpreted as high-grade copper shoots.
Daughter hole success
Following several attempts in challenging conditions for directional drilling, daughter-hole CANDD016C was completed after successfully testing the central portion of the conductive targets.
The target is represented by a 14-metre intersection of chalcopyrite veins and stringers and a 1-metre interval of semi-massive chalcopyrite.
Helix’s geologists have described the mineralisation as similar to that intersected in CANDD006 which yielded 5.3 metres at 3.3% copper.
The CANDD016C Main Lode intercept is around 185 metres below CANDD012, which returned 14.3 metres at 1.96% copper from 417 metres, including 8.3 metres at 2.82%.
There is no drilling between CANDD012 and CANDD016C in a zone which is occupied by EM conductor plates from the recent DHEM surveys.
Scope for more copper
"There appears to be ample scope to delineate significant additional contained copper tonnes in this area as well as further up and down plunge which remains untested,” Rosenstreich said.
"This will be a focus for our next drilling and could be very important for our updated mineral resource.
"It’s an exciting time for the exploration team to have now verified this target as representing a copper shoot within the overall shear structure in an area never drilled previously.
"The accuracy of the DHEM modelling by Southern Geoscience is very valuable for efficiently targeting the ongoing drill program which can now be optimised for the drill conditions.”
Strategy being reviewed
In light of the encouraging observations, the drilling strategy is being reviewed in this area. Additional drilling ahead of the new mineral resource estimate may push back the timing to enable more data to be included.
The modelled conductive plates have proven to be very accurate in predicting the position of the copper shoot with the actual intersection at 594 metres within metres of the predicted conductive target depth.
DHEM survey modelling of results is underway for hole CANDD015A and 16C to further resolve the conductive plates and guide further drilling.