Another perspective of a vein/fault/breccia deposit at an early stage of drilling. Perhaps by someone with a resource geology background or a lot of experience that is apparent.
Does mirror what has been said before, to some extent, by others including myself.
I decided to play around with the data that readily comes to hand. Some are much more adept at this than me so this is just another perspective.
Lots of assumptions etc for this.
- I used the data from @Blythefan's post for selected 2003 5 holes. Further data are probably available
- Hole locations are given by WCN as Datum NAD83 which I have rightly or wrongly assumed matches google earth coordinates. In some Mexican work I did a decade ago using similar coordinates a conversion in the order of 100+ meters was needed for both N and E. In Rae's case, and the prior one all that happens is the data are all shifted to a "real" location with the same relationship. That is the view above would be moved but the details added move with the change.
- The stars represent vertical projections of "contact" points. Yellow near surface NW contact. Orange deeper intersect points very rough; Blue for hole R8 but this is probably not a contact just the depth at which core starts within the mineral zone. See section below.
- The strike length is defined by intersections book ended by R1 in the NE and D8 in the SW. Appears open in both directions with hole D10 possibly providing some constraint in the NE.
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Some observations
I corrected the section below by adding a fairly accurate location for hole R8.
The "upper zone" may be a figment of my interpretation. Perhaps a splay in a vein/fault/breccia deposit complex.......
Contacts are interpretive with the SE contact projecting to surface some 30-40m SE of the collar.
With such contacts expect a lot of variations.
Hole 8 does extend the zone to depth and would, if reflected along strike, add deep tonnes to the resource.
Strike extensions are needed to get the tonnes up. Grab samples suggest this is a possibility as does the strong structure visible on Google Earth. Whether this is the case or not further drilling will be the arbiter.
Hole 2005 #D8 has 61m of 0.69% Cu (and distinctly lower Ag) from 142m. Wide system, but are grades weakening?, or just a lower grade patch?.
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Blythefan mentions RC potentially concentrating sulphides. I did wonder about that before see that post. So many issues from RC/AC/Rab systems that are generally mitigated against by having a good driller and strong protocols. There are some things inherent in these systems that leave some doubt about sample quaility though the cost benefit and careful controls make them adequate, if not perfect.
The major variable compared to WA RC is permafrost. IMO this would mean the RC drilling is almost like being in "dry" fresh rock with no water issues likely. I don't know how they use RC in such conditions but suspect as long as they keep drilling recoveries will be excellent with minimal contamination.
I was around RC rigs in Nevada in the 80's and vertical holes to 1500 feet was the norm -->450m. Such rigs would probably need a chinook to put in place hence the 200m capacity apparent for the rig used by WCN.
These North American RC rigs come with imperial measurements as evidenced by the sample depths reported. Looks like 10 feet (3.08m) is one sample length used with variants.
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There were tables put out with visual estimates of sulphides and their styles for the 8 holes. Assays are to come from 3 holes (2 6 7)
I have annotate the tables below with Red for returned assays (Missed Hole 4 assays), and green for pending (with stars where higher grade is likely).
Sulphides of these concentration make rough grade estimations a lot easier. Something that will help site geos with the feed back.
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A good start. with some more strong assays likely to round out this phase of RC drilling.
But just a start with a few more kilometers of strike needed to bring this into tier 1 or 2.
Hulk?
Kamoa Kakula etc in the DRC is given as a model.
From a recent Ivanhoe press release.
The Makoko resource has been evolving for maybe a decade.
The sheer scale of all these deposits blows my mind. Danvers would scarcely be a dot at this scale!
This is the dream for Hulk and others with ground in the area (e.g. Tundra video I watched) that border WCN.
Chatting with a geo who was familiar with this area he said 1 % Cu was generally considered waste! That would be large parts of the green on the map below! Hearsay so DYOR.
Important to note that depth is going to be a consideration for Makoko which is locally >1 Km below surface.
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Dreams and reality require successful exploration and a myriad of other stars to align to produce a mineable deposit or two or three.
(20min delay)