GreenTech Metals (ASX: GRE) has identified the potential for significant expansion of the existing Whundo/Ayshia Mineral Resource located approximately 40km south of Karratha, WA.
A high-level review has confirmed potential for significant resource expansion of Whundo’s cluster of VMS style Cu-Zn deposits. The current Whundo/Ayshia JORC 2012 compliant Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource consists of 6.2Mt @ 1.2% Cu and 1.04% Zn.
"Although our field exploration activities have been focussed on progressing GreenTech’s exciting lithium projects at Ruth Well and Osborne JV we have (with the assistance of independent consultants) reviewed our current copper/zinc resources and recognised the significant exploration opportunity that Whundo presents in the current resurgent copper market,” Executive Director, Thomas Reddicliffe, said.
“We believe there is considerable scope particularly at Austin, Shelby, Yannery and Ayshia to identify additional resource tonnes to enable a step change in the resource scale. Based on the conductive footprints of these VMS prospects they are all under-explored at depth with very little drilling done below 150m depth on any of the deposits. We will be commenting on our plans to methodically explore these prospects in the near future.”
Resource Growth Targeting
VMS (Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide) deposits usually occur in clusters and the Whundo project area is no exception with six significant VMS prospects identified within a 1,500m strike at the Whundo mining leases.
Two of these VMS clusters have historically been exploited for oxide ore with most exploratory drilling shallower than 150m depth.
The high-level resource and project review has prioritised targets which include the largely untested conductor anomalies at Austin and Shelby as well as the much smaller shallower tested anomalies at Yannery and Ayshia.
All of the known VMS deposits in the Whundo VMS field have a directly associated EM anomaly which has been demonstrated by the drilling to date to be related to massive sulphide mineralisation. In the case of Whundo and Ashyia which have been subject to resource drill out, the anomalies closely reflect the extent of the unweathered sulphide mineralisation. In the case of Whundo and Yannery the near surface oxide mineralisation extends beyond the bounds of the EM anomaly.
The company considers that these EM anomalies can give a good approximation of the spatial extent of the mineralisation at each of the VMS prospects.
With the high-level resource and project review now completed, upcoming exploration activity is being planned and will likely include a combination of drilling and DHEM surveying.
