Copper and gold exploration is being conducted within a small area centred about 100 km east of Hawker, which it is thought has potential for epigenetic vein style mineralisation within buried Adelaidean sandstone and shale strata in a stratabound...
Copper and gold exploration is being conducted within a small area centred about 100 km east of Hawker, which it is thought has potential for epigenetic vein style mineralisation within buried Adelaidean sandstone and shale strata in a stratabound setting that is possibly related to a blind igneous intrusion or salt diapirism. During the first licence year, initial work comprised in part the conduct of soil geochemical sampling and in situ multi-element analyses carried out in the field via portable XRF scanning, which was done while making reconnaissance geological traverses during October 2009. 475 sample points were read along north-south orientated grid lines spaced 200 m apart, with trace element content readings made at 50 m or 100 m intervals. The assay results are presented herein in table format and as pathfinder element maps. Remote sensing consultants Earthscan were retained to perform the acquisition and interpretation of Landsat and Quickbird satellite imagery (their final report is included herein). GPX Surveys were commissioned to acquire a high resolution airborne magnetic/radiometric survey of the Bibliando Dome region during April-May 2010, at 140 m north-south flight line spacing and 45 m sensor height. A geophysical interpretation of the resulting data was begun. During licence Year 2, historic copper mine surface workings were examined to ascertain their mining geology and grab sampling for assay of lode material and host rock gossans was done in July 2010 (10 samples collected). A brief geophysical data interpretation report was provided to Panda Mining by consultant David Isles, who identified two main targets requiring on-ground evaluation. During licence Year 3, no field work was done. A proposal was generated by David Isles for the drilling of a deep exploratory hole to reach basement beneath the Bibliando Dome, which was inferred to be magnetite-altered Willyama Group high grade metasediments with good base and precious metals potential. One vertical diamond hole to at least 1500 m was recommended, with the magnetic source body considered most likely to lie at around 1750 m depth. It was modelled as an anticlinal core plunging to the WSW, with its 1500 nT intensity shallowest expression located close to the eastern boundary of EL 4247. Previous deep drilling by WMC and Minotaur, to ~562 m and 1106 m respectively, had ended in Adelaidean rocks that frequently contain weaker magnetic horizons, so clearly their pre-drill modelling of the deep and intense ?metasomatised magnetic source at Bibliando had been too conservative and had been influenced by signal interference from these shallower sources. Panda Mining undertook a field inspection of the proposed drill site, and began to prepare an EWA for the drilling programme. During licence Year 4, the only work done was to follow up historic reports of mineralisation seen near Ewe Bore. Prospecting there revealed a number of gossanous quartz veins which were chip sampled for assay, but no encouraging trace metal values were returned in the 4 samples analysed. A Native Title heritage protection work area clearance survey was performed in March 2013 for the proposed drill site. During licence Year 5, further prospecting was conducted along the anticlinal axis to the south-west of Ewe Bore, and another 3 rock chip samples were assayed. These returned uniformly very low values. During licence Year 6, on renewed EL 5408 covering the same ground as before, Panda Mining collected and assayed a further 8 grab rock chip samples of gossanous material from two sites located near a NNW trending fault zone on the western side of the licence area. Again the results obtained were of low order except for copper and manganese. A semi-regional gradient array IP survey was acquired during April 2014 over 28.24 square km, to profile the anticlinal axis of the Bibliando Dome. Readings were taken along north-south traverses 200 m apart using a 40 m station interval. Several chargeable zones were detected, some of which do not correspond to known mineralisation, but could represent near surface buried concentrations of manganese oxides in fractured shales and siltstones. The IP data are being reviewed in conjunction with the previously obtained soil FPXRF and rock chip laboratory assay geochemical data, to try to generate targets for shallow exploratory drilling.
More +