Past drilling of the Eurinilla Dome by BHP, Lynch Mining and Havilah Resources has identified widespread anomalous Cu±Au±Co mineralisation flanking a central magnetic core, in an analogous geological setting to that of the Benagerie and Kalkaroo...
Past drilling of the Eurinilla Dome by BHP, Lynch Mining and Havilah Resources has identified widespread anomalous Cu±Au±Co mineralisation flanking a central magnetic core, in an analogous geological setting to that of the Benagerie and Kalkaroo domes. Hence the Eurinilla Dome was believed to have similar prospectivity for making a major copper-gold mineral discovery akin to the North Portia or Kalkaroo deposits. A problem with subsurface exploration at Eurinilla, though, that emerged during the previous drilling that was done there, is the local deep weathering profile, to which the aircore (AC) drilling method alone had been applied, a procedure which generated only minimal geological information with which to make regional geological correlations. Hence the precise location of the Bimba Formation had not been established, although it was believed to almost certainly exist at Eurinilla. Havilah therefore flew a low level detailed aeromagnetic survey (having 15 m ground clearance and a 50 m line spacing) over the entire Eurinilla Dome area in late March 2005, with the objective of recognising the critical fingerprint signatures of the Bimba Formation where it wraps around the central magnetic core of the dome. VULCAN 3D modelling of all previous drilling data was then combined with the new high resolution aeromagnetic data to determine optimum drill hole placements for carrying out deeper RC drill testing of the interpreted prospective Willyaman rock sequence, lying between the magnetic albitite (footwall) lithologies and the non-magnetic (hanging wall) carbonaceous pelite lithologies. This particular package of rocks is correlatable with the Kalkaroo/Benagerie/Bimba sequence which hosts Cu-Au-Mo mineralisation elsewhere in the region. The PACE Initiative Year 2 funded drilling programme undertaken by Havilah at Eurinilla Dome, which covers parts of Exploration Licences 3482 and 3256, was completed between December 2005 and April 2006, and consisted of 9 AC-precollared RC holes totalling 1362 m, designed to go deeply enough so that the full supergene enriched zone at the base of the weathering profile could be tested. All holes were drilled at right angles to the interpreted stratigraphy with inclinations of either -75 or -85 degrees. Holes were AC precollared into the Tertiary Namba Formation through any wet, running sand layers. Holes were then reamed out to 7" with a blade bit and cased with 6" PVC. RC hammer drilling was then continued through the remainder of the cover sequences and into Willyaman basement lithologies, in most cases. One hole, HMURC067, was abandoned in the cover sequence due to problems with wet running sands, and another, HMURC070, was abandoned in weathered basement due to continual hole collapse. The drilling programme was successful in providing deeper reconnaissance RC drill testing of the approximately 20 km of strike length of the prospective sequence around the Eurinilla Dome. The prospective sequence was intersected in a number of holes, and two holes also reached the magnetic albitite footwall, providing good geological information on the position and dips of the main lithologies. The sequence appears to dip to the east at approximately 15 degrees on the dome's eastern side, but its dip at the southern, south-plunging end of the dome is more difficult to interpret. The current interpretation has a relatively gentle (< 10 degrees) southerly plunge to the dome, with a possible thrust repetition at the southernmost end. Dips along the dome's north-western side, from earlier drilling are estimated at 20 degrees west, but the lack of prospective sequence demonstrated by HMURC074 suggests either that a dip of the order of 30-40 degrees west occurs, or that there has been fault dislocation of the prospective sequence in this area. Observed differences in lithologies between the Kalkaroo sequence and the Eurinilla sequence include the lack of bedded carbonate/calc-silicate rocks, the lower degree of albitisation, and the occurrence of massive sulphide bands/layers at Eurinilla. Two PACE drillholes met with mineralised intervals of potentially economic significance. Hole HMURC073 intersected 42 m @ 1.44 ppm Au from 36 m depth and 42 m @ 1.61 ppm Au from 132 m depth; hole EURC002 intersected 21 m @ 0.48% Cu from 138 m depth. These results provide encouragement for further drill testing of these mineralised zones, along with further drill targeting of the the prospective sequence elsewhere around the dome, especially in areas of interpreted cross-cutting structures.
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