Encounter Resources Ltd (ASX:ENR) has recommenced drilling at the Yeneena Copper-Cobalt Project as part of a $15 million exploration earn-in with IGO Limited in the Paterson Province of Western Australia.
Up to 1,900m of diamond drilling planned at Yeneena is targeting:
- Windsor EM target: located west of the BM1 Cu oxide zone (10m @ 6.8% Cu from 32m, 20m @ 2.0% Cu from 22m and 16m @ 3.2% Cu from 26m)
- Aria IOCG target: a conductive feature identified on the margin of the Aria breccia pipe where localised copper mineralisation has been intersected in the two diamond holes drilled to date
- Stratigraphic diamond drill hole (1,000m) to test the contact between sandstone belonging to the Coolbro Formation and shales belonging to the Broadhurst Formation
We have two months of predominantly copper focussed diamond drilling planned in the Paterson Province,” Encounter Managing Director, Will Robinson, said.
“This will include drilling of two high quality targets at Yeneena as part of the IGO earn-in; testing of a copper target at the Millennium Joint Venture; and drilling for further mineralised extensions at the 100% owned Lamil Copper-Gold Project.
“This exciting programme has commenced at Yeneena and we expect first results to be returned in May 2021.”
Yeneena comprises a major land position covering more than 1,600 sq. km in the highly prospective Paterson Province, targeting copper-cobalt mineralisation. IGO can sole fund $15 million in exploration expenditure over a maximum of seven years to earn a 70% interest in Yeneena.
A comprehensive generative exploration programme, completed in collaboration with IGO, involving fine fraction soil, magnetotelluric (MT) and electromagnetic (EM) surveys has identified a number of highly prospective copper drill targets at Yeneena. The current diamond drill programme will test the Windsor EM and Aria IOCG targets.
The stratigraphy in the Paterson Province is poorly exposed and therefore poorly understood. Copper mineralisation is known to occur at the contact between lower sandstones and overlying shales at two prospects in the area.
Outcrop of this key stratigraphic contact is limited and the relationship between the Broadhurst and the immediate underlying Coolbro Formation is not well documented. Furthermore, there is no geochemical or petrophysical data that can be unequivocally assigned to this part of the Coolbro Formation.
The stratigraphic drill hole proposed by IGO as part of the Yeneena project aims to provided much needed data to help understand the regional stratigraphic framework that will assist in future exploration programmes.
Subsequent to the completion of drilling at Yeneena, the diamond rig will complete programs at two additional copper and copper/gold targets in the Paterson:
- Millennium Joint Venture (ENR 75% / HHM 25%)
Drill testing of a copper drill target which is located on the Tabletop Fault adjacent to a broad zone of copper anomalism (+0.25% Cu) over a strike extent of 800m defined in prior aircore drilling.
- Lamil Copper-Gold Project (100% ENR)
An EIS co-funded diamond drill programmr (1,500m) targeting further extensions of the near surface copper-gold mineralisation at the Dune prospect.
