Golden Deeps Limited (ASX:GED) is set to commence a diamond drilling programme at the Nosib Block Copper-Silver-Vanadium prospect in Namibia.
The drilling campaign is designed to extend the shallow, high-grade, copper-lead-vanadium zone as well as test the down-plunge extensions of the thick, strata-bound, copper-silver zone at depth.
Drilling will also be planned to target a repeat of the very high-grade Khusib Springs shoot, that produced approximately 300,000t at 10% Cu and 584 g/t Ag3 to only 300m depth from the 1990s, closing in 2003.
The Nosib and Khusib Springs prospects are located approximately 15km apart, within EPL3543, in the world-class Otavi Mountain Land Copper District of Namibia.
The Otavi Copper District includes major historic mines such as the Tsumeb deposit, 40km to the northwest of Nosib, that produced 30Mt of ore grading 4.3% Cu, 10% Pb and 3.5% Zn3 between 1905 and 1996.
The geology of the Otavi copper belt is equivalent to the Kalahari Copper Belt in southern/central Namibia which extends into Botswana, where major recent discoveries under development include the Sandfire Resources Ltd Motheo copper-silver project (Mineral Resource total 63Mt @ 0.97% Cu, 14 g/t Ag).
The new drilling programme at Nosib will include up to eight diamond drillholes for 1,000m of drillcore. Three initial holes will further test the shallow, high-grade, copper-lead-vanadium zone, both within the defined shoot for definition and metallurgical purposes (around NSBRC010) – as well as along strike where the zone is open to the east of NSBRC007
NSBRC007: 24m @ 1.33% Cu, 4.77% Pb, 1.37% V2O5, 3.67g/t Ag from 3m incl. 6m @ 3.67% Cu, 14.9% Pb, 4.40% V2O5, 12.16g/t Ag from 6m – NSBRC010²: 29m @ 1.54% Cu, 4.49% Pb, 1.19% V2O5, 6.97g/t Ag from 2m incl. 9m @ 3.66% Cu, 11.91% Pb, 3.62% V2O5, 7.70g/t Ag from 3m/
A further up to five diamond holes will test extensions of the thick, strata-bound, copper-silver zone at Nosib, that previously produced true-width intersections of copper-silver mineralisation over 45m thick, across the entire thickness of the arenite/conglomerate host unit, including in NSBRC009 and NSBRC003: – NSBRC009: 45m @ 0.64% Cu, 4.19g/t Ag from 38m incl. 5m @ 2.58% Cu, 18.75g/t Ag from 61m, and, incl. 3m @ 1.18% Cu, 7.03 g/t Ag from 74m – NSBRC003: 44m @ 0.74% Cu, 0.17% Pb, 4.37 g/t Ag from 46m incl. 4m @ 2.28% Cu, 1.10% Pb, 6.17 g/t Ag from 51m, and, incl. 4m @ 1.67% Cu, 17.0 g/t Ag from 68m/
CEO, Jon Dugdale, said the diamond drilling will initially aim to define and extend the shallow copper-lead-vanadium zone to determine the scope of the open-pit resource target. The deeper drilling will test potential for a major, strata-bound, copper-silver deposit at depth.
The company’s immediate strategy is to drill-define the high-grade copper (lead-silver) and vanadium deposit at Nosib, in order to increase resource inventory and add to the existing Abenab high-grade vanadium (lead-zinc) resource,” Mr Dugdale said.
“In addition, the company will target new high-grade copper-silver deposits that could represent a ‘game-changer’ for Golden Deeps, if a repeat of the very high-grade Khusib Springs shoot is discovered.”