Empire Resources (ASX:ERL) has intersected 30m of massive to disseminated pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-pyrite sulphides from 276.1m in diamond hole YDD22-02 at the Smiths Well prospect, Yuinmery.
Pyrrhotite is the dominant sulphide mineral in all zones. A breakdown of the intercept is as follows.
- 276.1m – 278.1m: Massive to semi-massive sulphide (pyrrhotite-pyrite-chalcopyrite) 278.1m – 284.7m: Disseminated/stringer sulphide (pyrrhotite-pyrite-chalcopyrite)
- 284.7m – 303.5m: Massive sulphide (pyrrhotite with scattered blebby chalcopyrite and globules of pyrite rimmed by chalcopyrite)
- 303.5m – 306.1m: Disseminated/stringer sulphide (pyrrhotite-pyrite-chalcopyrite)
Diamond hole YDD22-02 was designed to target a strong conductor modelled from downhole electromagnetic (DHEM) surveys completed in January 2022. The strongly responsive conductor is interpreted to be a down plunge extension of the Smiths Well mineralisation, where previous intersections included 16m @ 0.51% Cu, 0.16% Ni & 0.031% Co from 255m in drillhole YRC21-28, and 5m @ 0.65% Cu, 0.13% Ni & 0.039% Co from 110m in drillhole YRC21-26 including 1m @ 1.90% Cu, 0.18% Ni & 0.038% Co from 112m [1].
The massive to disseminated intercept lies within an interpreted mafic-ultramafic sequence comprising coarse grained gabbroic rocks with very coarse grained (glomeroporphyritic) domains, dolerite, basalt and ultramafic lithologies.
Massive and disseminated sulphides observed in YDD22-02 at Smiths Well are consistent with the high conductance downhole electromagnetic geophysical response detected from hole YDD21-01,” Managing Director, Sean Richardson, said.
“This outstanding result verifies the strike and plunge extension to the mineralised horizon, offering an excellent opportunity for a significant copper-nickel-cobalt discovery at Yuinmery.
“The diamond drilling program continues at Yuinmery with hole YDD22-03 targeting strike extensions to the modelled conductor at Smiths Well prospect.”
In May 2020 Empire identified a steeply plunging structure trending in a northeast direction at the Smiths Well prospect. This structure has been tested by RC drilling for over 200m of strike and to 240m vertical depth. The structure is associated with the regional magnetic trend and remains open to the northeast and down dip. There is high probability that the copper-nickel mineralisation will continue beyond the zone already identified.
Drilling to date has returned broad zones of disseminated to matrix sulphide mineralisation, including chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and pyrite in varying concentrations. Drill intercepts of >1% Cu, and associated nickel (>0.2% Ni), gold and cobalt values demonstrate the potential of the prospect.
In January 2022, Empire engaged Southern Geoscience Consultants (SGC) to undertake a downhole electromagnetic (DHEM) survey at Smiths Well. The DHEM survey predominantly focussed on identifying conductors along strike and down plunge of previously identified and drill confirmed conductors.
A single strong anomaly was detected from hole YDD21-01 using a loop designed to couple with the known geometry from previous drilling. A plate with high conductance of ~20,000 S was modelled up dip and to the northeast of the drill hole. The modelled plate (Figure 6) dips at 53° towards the northwest and has extensive strike length of 159 m. The fit between the observed and modelled response is very good and the conductor is believed to be a strike extension of the main Smiths Well mineralisation horizon.
