Helix Resources Limited (ASX: HLX) continues to obtain exciting results in its ongoing exploration drilling on the Rochford Copper Trend at its Canbelego Joint Venture (JV) Project located in the Cobar region of NSW.
A ~5,000m RC drilling programme has recently commenced to test copper-lode targets in the ‘Greater Canbelego’ area and the Caballero Prospect which is located 2.5km south of Canbelego Main Lode, along the Rochford Trend.
The RC drilling follows the completion of the latest Canbelego Main Lode diamond drilling programme, consisting of four drill holes, CANDD010 to CANDD013.
The diamond drill holes tested the new geological interpretation for the Canbelego Main Lode of a high-grade copper shoot plunging south, not north, highlighted by the CANDD002 intercept of 14m at 4.2% copper and potentially a second shoot to the southeast.
Preliminary geological logging is highly encouraging with copper minerals observed at the northern shoot position in drillholes CANDD010 and 012.
These were drilled approximately 50 metres ‘up’ and ‘down’- plunge (respectively) from the high-grade copper intercept in CANDD002. Helix geologists recorded narrow zones of high-intensity chalcopyrite (copper sulphide) veins within broader zones of disseminated chalcopyrite.
The southern shoot position was tested with CANDD011 and CANDD013. CANDD011 intersected a broad ~18m interval of disseminated and vein chalcopyrite and CANDD013 intersected a narrow zone (10% chalcopyrite, in the interpreted ‘South Shoot’ position (only preliminary log available).
The first two RC holes of the new RC program both hit visual copper mineralisation testing a newly identified parallel lode position (CBW1) 200m west of the Canbelego Main Lode. One drillhole intersected oxide copper minerals (malachite and chalcocite) at shallow depths (7.0 to 34m downhole in CBLRC032).
The second hole intersected a 4m interval of disseminated and vein chalcopyrite from 94m in CBLRC031. These intersects extend the mineralisation in the CBW1 Lode approximately 60 metres to the north – and this lode remains open to the north and at depth.
The RC drilling programme will continue testing the newly identified parallel lode positions to the west of the Canbelego Main Lode and then move south to the Caballero Prospect to follow-up on promising anomalous RC drill results returned in 2018 but not followed up.
The current diamond and RC drilling is providing strong encouragement of deeper high grade copper shoots at Canbelego Main Lode and potential parallel ‘look-a-likes’ in close proximity,” Managing Director, Mike Rosenstreich, said.
“This RC drill programme comprises approximately 40 holes and we are excited to start drill testing other, earlier stage prospects, such as Caballero along the Rochford Copper Trend. Copper mineralisation is typically very ‘visual’ and RC drilling is much quicker than diamond core drilling – so we can make drill decisions and share news more regularly ahead of assays – which are still taking 60 to 80 days.”