Northern Base Metal Project
The Northern Base Metal Project consists of EPM 27934 (69 sub-blocks, 207 km2), located in Northern QLD. The project area is approximately 120km from Mt Garnet (1Mtpa milling facility capable of processing polymetallic base metal sulphide ore to produce separate copper, lead and zinc flotation concentrates).
Iltani applied for EPM 27934 based on a review of historical exploration activities in the area, which highlighted the potential of the Mt Mist and Frewhurst targets.
Mt Mist
Historical exploration activities conducted by CRA Exploration (CRAE) (1994 to 1995) and Far West Mining (2012 to 2013) defined two lenses of high grade polymetallic massive sulphide sulphides (sphalerite-galena-pyrite+/-chalcopyrite+/-pyrrhotite) mineralisation at Mt Mist.
The mineralisation is hosted at or close to the contact between a granite body and an amphibolite unit and appears to be structurally controlled.
Mt Mist represents a high priority target, with known high grade polymetallic massive sulphide mineralisation in 2 lens, plus multiple geophysical and geochemical anomalies and outcropping mineralisation requiring further exploration and drilling.
CRAE Phase 1 Drilling (Discovery) (1994)
CRA Exploration (CRAE) targeted Mt Mist in 1994/1995 and completed six RC holes (376m drilled, RC94MB9 to RC94MB14) which were designed to test beneath the old workings at Mt Mist.
A material intercept of massive sulphide & disseminated sulphide mineralisation was made in 94RCMB10, which was drilled to a depth of 80m towards grid north beneath the historical Mount Mist shaft, through 33m of granite before intersecting 9m of massive sulphides (sphalerite-galena-pyrite-pyrrhotite- chalcopyrite) and a further 6m of disseminated sulphides. The massive sulphide interval (32-41m) assayed 9m @ 1.08% Cu, 8.6% Pb, 13.2% Zn and 106 g/t Ag with no significant gold. The 15m interval (33-48m) assayed 0.87% Cu, 5.6% Pb, 9.69% Zn & 77 g/t Ag. The mineralisation is dominated by sphalerite and is variably magnetic.
CRAE Phase 2 Drilling (1994)
CRAE undertook a second round of RC drilling in October 1994 to test for lateral and depth extension to the mineralisation in RC94MB10 and to test for other zones of mineralisation. Fourteen holes were drilled for 1,106m
94RCMB39 & 94RCMB40 were targeted using a combination of soil anomalies, aircore top of bedrock anomaly and a magnetic high located 150m NE of the Mt Mist shaft.
MB39 intersected sulphide mineralisation between 51-77m with assays returning 26m @ 0.3% Cu, 1.1% Pb, 2.4% Zn & 26 g/t Ag (51 to 77m) including 8m @ 0.7% Cu, 2.7% Pb, 5.5% Zn & 65 g/t Ag (62 to 70m).
MB40 intersected sulphide mineralisation between 25-57m with assays returning 31m @ 0.3% Cu, 1.1% Pb, 3.1% Zn & 31 g/t Ag (25 to 56m) including 3m @ 0.5% Cu, 2.8% Pb, 8.0% Zn & 60 g/t Ag (38 to 41m) and 3m @ 1.0% Cu, 2.0% Pb, 10.7% Zn & 108 g/t Ag (48 to 51m)
Far West Mining (2011-2013)
Far West Mining conducted 2 phases of diamond drilling (19 holes for 3,819m drilled), geophysical exploration (gravity and IP), surface geochemical sampling and mapping.
Far West’s drilling program focused on connecting the two mineralised lens discovered by CRAE (1994-1995), determine the mineralisation and alteration style by sampling fresh unweathered parts of the system and check for extensions at depth for both eastern (blind lens) discovered by CRAE and western lens associated with the Mt Mist shaft.
The best results came from drilling at the eastern len, where MM11-006 intersected 22m @ 0.5% Cu, 3.1% Pb, 5.1% Zn & 52 g/t Ag from 93.0m down hole and MM12-007 intersected 7m @ 0.6% Cu, 4.2% Pb, 6.4% Zn & 54 g/t Ag from 149.0m down hole.
Frewhurst
Frewhurst is a highly prospective copper target, with a large (250m x 250m) granite hosted vein system containing known copper mineralisation. The mineralised system appears open in all directions (extends under later transported cover) with a single drill hole 500m to the SE intersecting sub economic mineralisation.
Frewhurst is prospective for bulk tonnage (open pittable) copper mineralisation.
CRAE Exploration (1994)
CRAE completed 10 RC holes (total of 611m) with nine holes (RC95FR1 – RC95FR9) completed (as 2 separate fence lines) into the Frewhurst target, and one hole (RC95FR10) completed targeting a Cu-Co anomaly to the south.
Holes RCFR91 to RC95FR9 intersected altered (clay-sericite +/- chlorite +/- epidote) leucogranite with rare intersections of hornfels and tertiary basalt. Mineralised lodes within the granite are a blue-grey quartz with up to 15% sulphide (pyrite, arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite).
Best result was returned from RC95FR9 which returned 12m (27-39m) @ 1.95% Cu & 47 g/t Ag (represents a bulked out intercept of 3m and 2m of lode), with a high grade intercept of 3m (31-34m) @ 5.8% Cu & 136 g/t Ag.
Hole RC95FR10 was drilled approximately 500m to the SE of the Frewhurst mineralised zone (targeting a Cu-Co anomaly from surface sampling) and intersected arsenic-lead-zinc mineralisation in weakly altered granite, with 6m (33-39m) grading 0.25% Pb, 0.2%n, 0.4% As & 4 g/t Ag.