Golden Deeps Limited (ASX:GED) has intersected further very high-grade copper-vanadium-lead mineralisation at the Nosib Block Prospect, located in the Otavi Mountain Land of northern Namibia.
Diamond drillhole, NSBDD008, tested the shallow copper-vanadium-lead-silver oxide zone from surface at the Nosib Prospect and produced exceptional copper, vanadium and lead XRF spot readings on drillcore including up to 16% copper (Cu), 3.7% vanadium (V2O5) and 15.9% lead (Pb), averaging 1.3% Cu, 0.9% V2O5 and 3.8% Pb over 26m from surface.
Samples from NSBDD008 have been despatched to Intertek, Perth, for full ICP-MS/ICP-OES analyses. The pXRF (portable XRF) spot-readings in NSBDD008 were taken at approximate 0.5m intervals within each mineralised zone, apart from selected zones where visible sulphides are variably distributed and further readings may be taken.
The range of values within the identified mineralised zone from surface to 29.5m vertical (downhole) depth are from 0.1% Cu to 16% Cu readings, averaging ~1.2% Cu.
Vanadium values range from undetectable to 2.1% V (3.7% V2O5), averaging 0.45% V (0.8% V2O5) and lead values range from 0.17% Pb to 15.9% Pb, averaging 3.5% Pb.
The pXRF readings are unrepresentative spot indications of grade only and laboratory assays (ICP-MS/OES) are required to confirm representative grades and intervals.
Upon receipt of results, quarter-core samples from NSBDD008 will be composited for metallurgical testwork, including gravity concentration of vanadium, copper and lead (+/- Ag, Zn) minerals prior to downstream leach testing for production of high-value products for the rapidly growing battery-metals market.
Previous diamond drilling results from the shallow high-grade copper-vanadium-lead zone include the very high-grade intersection below from NSBDD002 (announced in December 2021: NSBDD002: 20.85m @ 2.0% Cu, 1.54% V2O5, 6.0% Pb, 7.7 g/t Ag (6.4% CuEq) from 0m incl. 12.10m @ 3.2% Cu, 2.54% V2O5, 9.8% Pb, 8.0 g/t Ag (10.3% CuEq) from 0m incl. 10.30m @ 3.6% Cu, 2.82% V2O5, 10.5% Pb, 8.2 g/t Ag (11.4% CuEq) from 0m incl. 3.00m @ 6.3% Cu, 7.82% V2O5, 21.9% Pb, 6.4 g/t Ag (25.9% CuEq) from 7.35m.
Further diamond drilling is in progress, testing for extensions of this shallow, very high-grade, copper vanadium-lead zone in an area of sub-cropping copper mineralisation to the north of the currently drilled area.
The mineralised zone has so-far been tested over a 100m strike length and remains open to the northeast and southwest at surface.
Completion of this drilling, as well as the metallurgical test-work, will allow the Company to complete a maiden resource estimate for the high-grade copper-vanadium-lead-silver zone at Nosib. In addition, results have been received from a further four diamond drillholes that tested the deeper copper-silver sulphide zone at Nosib, producing thick intersections of copper-silver mineralisation including: NSBDD003: 35.84m @ 0.45% Cu, 3.8 g/t Ag (0.53% CuEq) from 71.0m incl. 22.71m @ 0.54% Cu, 4.6 g/t Ag (0.64% CuEq) from 71.0m incl. 11.10m @ 0.70% Cu, 5.6 g/t Ag (0.81% CuEq) from 82.0m incl. 4.07m @ 1.13% Cu, 9.3 g/t Ag (1.27% CuEq) from 89.03m incl. 0.40m @ 6.81% Cu, 41.6 g/t Ag (7.3% CuEq) from 92.7m.
A further diamond drillhole into the sulphide zone, NSBDD007, completed below NSBDD003, intersected a 36.4m zone from 74m of disseminated to semi-massive copper sulphide mineralisation that included “fairly distributed specs of bornite and/or covellite, commonly associated with chalcopyrite”, at the lower contact of the conglomerate/arenite.
NSBDD007 is the deepest hole to date testing the copper-silver sulphide zone at Nosib and confirms potential for a significant, strata-bound, copper-silver sulphide deposit.
The very successful drilling programme at Nosib continues to intersect very high-grade copper-vanadium-lead mineralisation from the oxide zone, that remains open to the northeast where drilling is continuing,” CEO, Jon Dugdale, said.
“The completion of this program will allow metallurgical testing and resource estimation to be completed prior to initiating studies into production of high-value vanadium, copper and lead products to feed the ever increasing demand for these metals for the renewable energy battery industries globally.
“In addition, deeper drilling has intersected significant thicknesses of strata-bound copper-silver sulphide mineralisation at depth that indicates we may be on top of a significant, new, copper-silver discovery that shows similar characteristics to major deposits in the Kalahari Copper Belt to the south.
“The company will continue its dual focus on defining shallow copper-vanadium-lead oxide deposit that may provide an early pathway to production of high-value products for the renewable energy battery industries, as well as targeting larger scale, copper-silver sulphide deposits at depth for the development of a major long term, production centre in the Otavi Copper Belt.”