Perth-based Eclipse Metals (ASX: EPM) has identified “very encouraging” historical diamond drilling results in an ongoing evaluation of the Yuendi exploration licence area in the Northern Territory.
Data from 912 metres of drilling over eight diamond holes demonstrates the presence of wide copper-zinc-silver mineralisation within the Mt Hardy and Yuendumu areas of the Arunta Block.
The data has also delineated high-grade copper-silver mineralisation and anomalous zinc zones at the Rock Hill field nearby.
Best assays were 11.6m at 0.43% copper from 58.2m including 0.3m at 4.6% copper and 10 grams per tonne silver from 58.2m, and 0.3m at 10.20% copper and 27g/t silver from 69.8m; 3.0m at 0.18% copper, 0.19% zinc and 2288g/t silver from 33.5m; and 30.5m at 455g/t silver from 33.5m including 3.0m at 2288g/t silver and 3.0m at 1118g/t silver.
The mineralised envelopes of zinc-silver varied from 12m up to 38m thickness, with significant intersections being 38.1m at 0.14% zinc from 67.1m; 12.2m at 0.15% zinc from 48.8m; and 28.4m at 0.13% zinc from 123.4m.
Eclipse said the strong results indicate “excellent potential” for Yuendi to host broad, high-grade zones of mineralisation.
Rock Hill field
Extensive visible copper consisting of malachite, azurite and chrysocolla in historically-mined prospects also runs for several kilometres across Rock Hill.
The field was subject to exploration by the Northern Territory Geological Survey more than 50 years ago and remains untested by modern techniques.
The size of the untested corridor is considered to be very extensive with potential to delineate further mineralisation through geophysical surveys and shallow drilling, especially in the high-grade mineralised Rock Hill prospects.
Further work will include re-interpretation of airborne magnetic data to delineate the source of the magnetic anomalies and the structural setting.
Rock Hill is believed to potentially hold similar value to Todd River Resources’ (ASX: TRT) Mt Hardy zinc-copper project immediately to the west, which has a JORC estimate of 2.6 million tonnes at 6.7% zinc, 0.9% copper, 1.5% lead and 35g/t silver.
Ngalia Basin projects
Located approximately 300km north-west of Alice Springs, the Yuendi exploration licence area is one of Eclipse’s Ngalia Basin base metal projects and sits within the Aileron province of the Arunta Block in central Australia.
The province has been subject to limited historical mining and is believed to be underexplored compared with other Proterozoic orogenic regions.
