Ann: Nine Orion Look-alikes from Auger Program, More to Come, page-144

My bed side manner is a bit abrupt.

It is early days for DRE in the Kimberly so a lot can happen. They have mentioned that there are some similarities to the Cloncurry region in Qld.

Not an area I am too familiar with so did a bit of research to extend my knowledge and get some details to post.

The Cloncurry area covers a large chunk of ground and is host to a wide variety of mineral deposits. Probably much wider than DRE's Yampi ground although exploration has been active for the best part of 100 years in a more accessible environment.

I think the largest deposits that are envisaged as analogues for Yampi are Osborne and Starra. Both of these are comprised of friends in the sense given to exploration targets around Orion.

Osborne description with link to Porter Geoscience data base
Various resource/production data in this with 27Mt @ 1.4% Cu and 0.8 g/t Au to give some idea of scale for what is probably the largest deposit known to date in this belt.


Starra also Porter.
Starra and friends 7Mt @ 2.1% Cu AND 4.6 g/t Au to 1999


Location map for Osborne. Couldn't find a better one that included it but this is for the north from Merlin (Small oddball Moly deposit of extreme Mo grade)

Starra and Merlin on this with the Yellow outline what may be the Cloncurry area in the Eastern fold Belt EFB as distinct from the WFB that includes Mt Isa a different style. The EFB includes IOCG, porphyry and other styles of Cu mineralisation.

This map popped up when I checked out Kalman (c20Mt @ 1.8% Cu Eq (0.6% Cu + Au/Mo/Re)


Fault related deposits? Similarity to Tarraji where fracturing faulting or the Ruins dolerite has created the Orion deposit and perhaps geochem evidence of friends. Grants Find a related but different style that appears to have zones similar to the south at perhaps Vanguard/Wilsons and unnamed prospects where high grade grabs have been taken.

Time will tell if the comparison to Cloncurry though each area is unique. Does give a context and an idea of what may be found.

Could waffle on but more than enough.


Elephants - Mt Isa, Broken Hill, Sullivan, Brunswick 12, Kidd Creek - off top of head all 100+ Mt Zn/Pb of ore etc
Rhinos - Flin Flon, Geco 50-100
Many bears in the 20-50 Mt range
Lots smaller with many mines included depending on logistics and location largely.

Probably better charts than this but gives an idea of ranges for a variety of base metal deposits.



Chart doesn't include VMS deposits mentioned above. Still debate about what is VMS Sedex etc.