FMR Resources (ASX:FMR) has commenced an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey at its Brunswick, Canada.
The AEM survey has been planned to map the target horizon and key structures which control copper mineralisation at Fairfield and aims to detect any anomalous EM responses which may be caused by accumulations of copper-bearing sulphide minerals.
Non-Executive Director Bill Oliver commented “It is very pleasing to get this survey underway at Fairfield. We have identified numerous targets from the historical datasets and we look forward to this survey confirming the scale and extent of those known targets as well as hopefully identifying new targets for drill targeting later this year. With renewed activity in copper exploration as well as in the New Brunswick region we certainly believe we are in the right place at the right time.”
Survey Objectives
The airborne EM survey will be vital to define extensions to the areas of known mineralisation at Fairfield as well as provide an excellent tool for drill targeting at the project. EM anomalies detected by the survey may represent accumulations of sulphide minerals which host copper mineralisation and accordingly any anomalies will represent priority targets for drill testing. The airborne EM and magnetic data should also clearly map the target horizon (the contact between the Carboniferous Boss Point formation grey beds and Devonian Hopewell formation red beds) along with the controlling structures that host copper mineralisation across the project. The survey will be carried out at a 50m spacing to ensure sufficient detail for imagery and interpretation as well as modelling following completion of the survey.
The airborne EM survey will target the key prospects at Fairfield identified to date:
- Demoiselle: define host structures and delineate potential extensions to mineralisation identified in historical drilling (including 9.2m at 0.8% Cu, 6.7 g/t Ag from 12m with 0.3m at 10.5% Cu, 31 g/t Ag) 1
- Dorchester North: target potential extensions of mineralisation from the historical Dorchester Copper Mine extending into FMR’s ground along the contact horizon 1
- Tantramar: define structures which may host extensions to outcropping copper mineralisation where rock chip results have returned grades in excess of 30 % Cu and 151 g/t Ag
Background
The Fairfield Copper Project is located in the highly prospective Appalachian Copper-Gold Belt (Figure 3) which is renowned as a well endowed copper-gold province with known deposits including the Gaspe Copper Deposit (owned by Osisko Metals (OSK.TO), historic production 141Mt at 0.9% Cui) and the Green Bay Copper Deposit (owned by Firefly Metals (FFM.AX), 39.2Mt at 1.8% Cu, 0.3 g/t Auii as well as several gold deposits (Figure 3). Recent activity in the Appalachian Belt includes the acquisition of the York Harbour Deposit by Firetail Resources (FTL.AX) and the acquisition of the Chester Deposit by Raptor Resources (RAP.AX).
The Fairfield Project is considered highly prospective for copper mineralisation as it is strategically located directly along strike (within 1km) of the Dorchester sediment-hosted copper deposit. The Dorchester Mine has recorded production of 2,000 tonnes at 3.7% with mineralisation by Gulf Mineralsiii as an average 6.1 metre thick zone dipping to a depth 335 metres along a strike length of 1,067 m with an average grade of just under 1% Cu.
The property claims now comprise 93.6sq km of ground staked over >20 km of the prospective target structures. Claims have been secured over areas the Company believe has the potential to host copper mineralisation based on the presence of known mineral occurrences, soil anomalies and geophysical anomalies identified by previous operators that are underexplored by modern techniques. The area is renowned for outcropping copper mineralisation mapped at surface and mineralisation has also been intersected in drilling by previous explorers.
Sediment-hosted copper mineralisation identified at Fairfield displays geological similarities to major copper deposits around the world. The most renowned sediment-hosted copper deposit in the word is the Central African Copper Belt which is the largest district of sediment-hosted copper deposits in the worldiv. Other examples of sediment-hosted deposits in North America are the White Pine and Copperwood Projects held by Highland Copper in Michigan, USA (combined NI 43-101-compliant resources of 301.3 Mt @ 1.1 % Cuv,vi), the Redstone/Coates copper deposit, Northwest Territories (NI 43-101-compliant resources of 33.6 Mt at 3.9% Cuviii) and also the emerging discovery of the Storm Deposit in Nunavut, Canada with recent intersections including 76m at 2% Cuvii.
