Byron.... porphyry copper deposits , like all particular styles...

Byron.... porphyry copper deposits , like all particular styles of mineralisation, have a number of characteristics that are common to that style of mineralisation. The two main 'indicators" that you look for when after a porphyry, especially if it is buried and not sticking out at surface where you are actually looking directly at the beast is the style (essentially intensity) of the alteration and also associated mineralisation. We are seeing both here with pyrite being a sulphide and with varying types of alteration, potentially increasing in intensity with depth.

To reduce it to the absolute basics, a porphyry "mineralised core" (which is what you are looking for) is usually surrounded by a number of "halos" which will show different sorts (intensity) of alteration assemblages as you move away from what was the hotter core of the system. You will also often see halos of different mineralisation as well. For example, the more mobile metals like zinc and lead will often sit in a halo away/around the copper/moly etc "core". So whilst we may not be at the porphyry yet, these outer indicators are still useful guides in telling you where you might be in the system. What this MD newsletter is saying is that we are seeing some of these hoped for indicators, as they drill towards the postulated target depth. The comment about the porphyry dyke (clearly which has intruded up a plane of weakness (see comments about all the shear zones they are drilling through) notes that we are also seeing relevant intrusives which may or may not be related to the hoped for mineralised system. So whilst nothing specific can be drawn from these factors, it is at least showing the sorts of indicators that one would expect to see on the outer margins of the postulated porphyry system.