Zenith Minerals (ASX:ZNC) has returned wide high-grade copper assays from resource update drilling at the Scorpion deposit within Zenith’s 100% owned Develin Creek copper-zinc project in Queensland.
Latest wide high-grade copper results from Scorpion, include: 21m @ 2.5% Cu, 1.6% Zn, 0.4 g/t Au and 18.0 g/t Ag § 20m @ 2.3% Cu, 0.3% Zn, 0.4 g/t Au and 16.2 g/t Ag § 18m @ 1.7% Cu, 0.6% Zn, 0.6 g/t Au and 26.3 g/t Ag.
“Resource infill drilling at Scorpion has confirmed the high-grade nature of the copper lens, which along with Sulphide City, form the basis of the historic Inferred Mineral Resource,” CEO, Mick Clifford, said.
“Once we can complete the planned drill programme at Sulphide City, which was curtailed in 2021 due to significant rainfall events, we’ll then be able to update the resource estimate.
“More importantly, we are very keen to get the drill rigs back to Snook and Wilsons North where we successfully discovered new massive copper-zinc sulphide zones in our regional drill programmes in 2021.”
A three rig drilling campaign commenced at Develin Creek in September 2021 to test copper-zinc targets at Wilsons North, Snook and four targets surrounding the existing Sulphide City JORC massive copper-zinc sulphide deposits.
In addition, resource update drilling was also completed at the Sulphide City and Scorpion deposits where recent Zenith drilling returned strong massive copper-zinc sulphides in a twin hole programme including: 34m @ 3.5% Cu+Zn, incl 10m @ 6.0% Cu+Zn, and 29m @ 3.5% Cu+Zn, incl 12.3m @ 6.7% Cu+Zn
This drilling programme is part of a broader plan to build upon the existing JORC resource and add potential tonnage to the Develin Creek copper-zinc volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) inventory.
46 drill holes were completed in this 2021 program for a total of 6,148 metres. Assays are awaited for nine holes (four in Wilsons North, three in Snook, two in Sulphide City).
Sulphide City and Scorpion Resource Update Drilling
The Scorpion and Sulphide City resource update drilling programme continues to intersect wide high-grade copper and zinc zones.
12 holes were drilled at Sulphide City (assays are awaited for two holes), while six holes were drilled at Scorpion.
New results from Scorpion, that are close to true width intersections, include:
- 21m @ 2.5% Cu, 1.6% Zn, 0.4 g/t Au and 18.0 g/t Ag from 50m down hole (ZSCRC010)
- 20m @ 2.3% Cu, 0.3% Zn, 0.4 g/t Au and 16.2 g/t Ag from 38m down hole (ZSCRC012)
- 18m @ 1.7% Cu, 0.6% Zn, 0.6 g/t Au and 26.3 g/t Ag from 19m down hole (ZSCRC009)
New massive sulphide results from Sulphide City, that are close to true width intersections, include:
- 2m @ 1.2% Cu, 0.3% Zn, 0.1 g/t Au and 4 g/t Ag (ZSCRC014) These new assay results are in addition to those previously reported for Sulphide City, including:
- 12m @ 2.6% Cu, 5.2% Zn, 1.4 g/t Au and 73 g/t Ag (ZSCRC003)
- 12m @ 1.5% Cu, 0.5% Zn, 0.2 g/t Au and 3.6 g/t Ag and 16m @ 1.7% Cu, 0.1 g/t Au and 3.4 g/t Ag (ZSCRC004), part of a 72m wide massive sulphide zone comprised of 28m of massive copper-zinc sulphides and 44m of massive pyrite, ending in massive pyrite (diamond tail planned 2022)
Results reported in an earlier ZNC diamond drilling programme included: 29m @ 2.3% Cu, 1.2% Zn, 0.3 g/t Au & 4.2 g/t Ag incl. 12.3m @ 4.2% Cu, 2.5% Zn, 0.6 g/t Au & 7.3 g/t Ag; and 34m @ 2.0% Cu, 1.5% Zn, 0.2 g/t Au & 4.9 g/t Ag incl. 10m @ 3.9% Cu, 0.4% Zn, 0.3 g/t Au & 6.9 g/t Ag.
Background on the Develin Creek Project
The Develin Creek project contains a VMS copper-zinc deposit with an Inferred Mineral Resource (JORC 2012) of: 2.57Mt @ 1.76% copper, 2.01% zinc, 0.24 g/t gold and 9.6 g/t silver (2.62% CuEq).
