Rumble Resources Ltd (ASX:RTR) has discovered a new high-grade copper and silver dominant system with grades up to 3.37% copper and 4,450 g/t silver at Chinook Prospect within the Earaheedy Zinc-Lead Project in Western Australia.
The company has also encountered tungsten, molybdenum and nickel in recent multi-element assaying of diamond core from Chinook.
Rumble's technical assessment has identified the polymetallic system as a separate mineralising event to the unconformity and MVT-style zinc-lead mineralisation that has been the target of exploration at the Earaheedy Project to date.
Notably, mineralisation intersected in two angled and one vertical diamond core drill hole includes:
- 40 centimetres at 4,450 g/t silver, 3.37% copper, 0.52% tungsten, 2.50% zinc, 0.98% lead and 0.30% nickel from 115.3 metres;
- 60 centimetres at 861 g/t silver and 3.20% zinc from 81 metres; and
- 20 centimetres at 1,100 g/t silver, 0.27% copper, 0.11% molybdenum and 0.34% tungsten from 83.8 metres.
Multi-element assaying
Recent multi-element assaying of diamond core from Chinook has revealed high-grade silver and copper in association with tungsten, molybdenum and nickel.
The mineralisation is interpreted to be high angle (near vertical) and strikes parallel to the current vertical drill holes completed by Rumble.
As Rumble's drilling to date has been vertical and targeting flat-lying zinc-lead mineralisation, it has rarely intercepted the newly recognised polymetallic system.
Notably, the polymetallic zone has significant zinc and lead values where the zone intersects the main laterally extensive unconformity-related zinc-lead system.
The limit to this high-grade polymetallic mineralisation is at a very early stage with only four intersections of note due to the orientation of the zone with respect to the drilling orientation being vertical.
Forward plan
The discovery of high-grade polymetallic mineralisation at Chinook has added significant potential for copper-silver dominant deposits within the Earaheedy Project.
The next steps at Earaheedy include:
- Further assessment has started aimed at generating targets to test the newly defined high-grade copper-silver dominant polymetallic fault system with angled holes that will form part of upcoming planned drill programs.
- RC drilling to target further high-grade feeder zones is ongoing along Sweetwater Trend.
- The company is planning further RC/DDH drilling to test the many potential high-grade east-west and northwest-southeast feeder structures that have been recently outlined via lithostructural mapping and geophysical interpretation over the project.
- Sighter metallurgical test-work to develop a preliminary flowsheet for the sulphide flotation concentrate is progressing well and will be reported as soon as final results are compiled.
- An independent technical study to determine the optimum drill spacing for a maiden resource has started with a maiden JORC mineral resource estimate (MRE) due to be reported in 2023.
- Rumble is investigating beneficiation techniques eg DMS &/or sensor ore sorting to increase the potential resource and further enhance the optionality for the project.