Killi Resources Limited (ASX: KLI) has successfully completed the first round of modern field exploration at the Mt Rawdon West Project, in the Mt Perry region of Central Queensland.
This first programme in the field has identified significant copper mineralisation at surface at multiple locations across the main target area. We previously had two target areas Wonbah and Baloo, however with these results we believe this is a much larger system than originally thought and will refer to the mineralised corridor as Baloo,” Killi’s Chief Executive Officer, Kathryn Cutler, said.
“The location of multiple old workings from the early 1900’s, had been recorded by the Queensland Government, however the commodity and mining specifics have not. The scale of the historical workings from the turn of the last century demonstrates there is a significant potential here for an economic copper-gold discovery.
“Since the early 1900’s, the region has not seen much exploration attention, except a few soil programmes completed in the early 2000’s, which did not cover the main corridor, or historical workings, however did highlight a Cu-Au-Mo anomaly in the centre of the tenement.
“From the rocks, alteration, and visible mineralisation observed on the ground, we believe the Baloo area to be highly prospective for a porphyry copper gold system, with these rock chip results demonstrating we do have the grade needed.”
The field programme commenced in early August, with the collection of 26 rock chip samples, focussed on the main corridor between the two major faults of the region, Mt Rawdon and Mt Perry Faults.
Rock chip samples were taken from old workings, outcrop and subcrop locations on hills where bedrock/fresh rock was visible, within an area 5.5 km along strike north-east to south-west and 2.6 km across-strike north-south. Mineralisation is not constrained in any direction.
Assays from the rock chips dominated in anomalous copper gold and silver, with a few samples returning elevated lead of 1 %, molybdenum of 0.9 % and zinc of 0.3 %.
The best rock chip copper sample returned 7.2 % Cu (MRRK020) attributed to the presence of bornite in quartz veins.
Bornite is of considerable interest as it is a copper sulphide mineral often used as an indicator for its proximity to porphyry copper systems.
The best gold result was returned from MRRK017, of 12.4g/t Au, located at the eastern-most end of the program, with no additional data pending further to the east. This result will warrant further investigation to the north-east with the result currently open in all directions and located on the Mt Rawdon Fault.
Of significant interest MRRK014 returned highly anomalous copper at 4.2%, as well as gold, silver, lead and zinc. The sample was taken from a small iron-rich outcrop, where quartz veins within a fine- medium grained felsic unit were observed, with minor copper staining in the form of malachite. The sample was taken during the soil programme, where no previous exploration work has been completed, and is 500m along strike from any historic indications of mineralisation.
Approximately 200 soil samples were taken across the corridor, covering seven km of strike, focussed on extending the existing soil grids and the existing Cu-Au-Mo anomaly in the centre of the tenement, as it remains open to the west. The results from the soil geochemical program are expected in October.
The district has a rich mining history with significant gold, copper and molybdenum mines located on the tenement, which have laid dormant for the past 100 years. Eight historical mines were located over a seven km wide corridor across the tenement, with malachite, azurite and bornite (copper mineralisation) observed in outcrop/subcrop and within the wall of old workings and waste piles. Bornite is of considerable interest as it is a copper sulphide mineral often used as an indicator for its proximity to porphyry copper systems.
The old copper workings consists of three substantial adits that extend into a hill on the southern side, and two winzes’ (portals for hauling ore out of the mine to the surface), were found on the north- eastern side of the hill. The workings cover 370m of strike and 80m in elevation, Figure 4. Visible copper mineralisation was observed at entries to the adits as well as at the ore passes. Rock chip samples were taken across the hill for analysis.
Granodiorite was identified as the host rock, with varying levels of K-feldspar alteration from weak to intense, mapped in outcrop surrounding the mine. Copper mineralisation appeared to be hosted within quartz veins in the form of 2-3 cm crystals of malachite, azurite and bornite.
