Helix Resources (ASX:HLX) has obtained significant copper intersections from scout RC drilling at the Bijoux prospect, part of an aggressive target generation and testing programm4 aimed at making new copper (and gold) discoveries in the Cobar-Nyngan area of central NSW.
Drill testing at Bijoux in the southern Rochford Trend was completed in late 2023. Assay results have been received and this report provides a summary of the significant copper intercepts returned. A total of nine RC holes for 1,716m were completed during the campaign with copper mineralisation reported from all nine RC holes.
“Helix is thrilled to report the results from its new Bijoux discovery, where drilling has so far tested only a 200m portion of a much larger 1.6km auger copper anomaly. ‘Bijoux’ is French for ‘jewelry’ and these early results have put a fresh sparkle into a historic prospect,” Executive Technical Director, Kylie Prendergast, said.
“This is an important discovery with wider ramifications as it further validates and enhances the high-grade copper potential of the Rochford Copper Trend beyond our Canbelego Mineral Resource1 located 9km to the north. The Rochford Trend is a 30km zone containing the Canbelego copper deposit and Western Lodes, the Caballero prospect, numerous historical mines and robust untested copper and VTEM anomalies.
“The Exploration Team is working diligently to unravel the copper mineralisation in the Rochford Trend. These Bijoux results are a tremendous start for the year and bode well for the major 2024 drill campaign currently being planned. We are lining up a series of targets for drill testing on the Rochford Copper Trend, on new emerging trends and the eastern Collerina Trend. We are certainly starting to see the results of the past year’s target generation activity underpinning an exciting drill campaign to make new discoveries.”
The Rochford Copper Trend is a 30km trend with historical mines, copper and VTEM anomalies extending from the Little Boppy and Black Range prospects in the northwest to south of Bijoux in the southeast.
The company has undertaken an extensive geochemical sampling program over the Rochford Trend which has generated significant copper (Cu) geochemical anomalies. One of these is the Bijoux Prospect, where a 1.6km x 0.6km copper anomaly was defined by infill and extensional auger sampling and where follow-up reverse- circulation (RC) drilling was completed in November 2023. Downhole EM (DHEM) surveys were also completed on six of the RC holes in December 2023. This report provides an update on the Bijoux RC assay results and the DHEM survey results, which have now been received.
Next Steps
The Company is planning orientation IP and gravity surveys at the Canbelego project, which will be undertaken in the first quarter of 2024. The results of these orientation surveys will inform future deployment of geophysical surveys at Bijoux and other new targets, given the mineralisation style is similar and both are hosted within the prospective Rochford Trend.
Geological and structural modelling of Bijoux is currently in progress.
Follow-up drilling will be planned when the modelling is completed, with drilling likely to resume in the first quarter of 2024 as part the major drill campaign the company has planned.
