A small licence comprising two separate sub-blocks located 4 km and 22 km south-east of Winnininnie on the Barrier Highway has been explored for possible buried economic, epithermal/hydrothermal structurally controlled copper-gold mineralisation...
A small licence comprising two separate sub-blocks located 4 km and 22 km south-east of Winnininnie on the Barrier Highway has been explored for possible buried economic, epithermal/hydrothermal structurally controlled copper-gold mineralisation that may have formed in Adelaidean metasediments and volcanic rocks. Licensee Malaco Leichhardt Pty Ltd currently owns and operates the Mount Watson copper mine and the Mount Cuthbert solvent extraction - electrowinning ore processing plant in the Cloncurry region of north-western Queensland. During the initial licence year, work consisted of reviewing past exploration records and performing legacy data validation checks. The mineralisation potential of ferruginised quartz veins and of inferred magnetite-rich strata was noted for field visit follow-up. During licence Year 2, a field geological reconnaissance was made during May 2018, when part of the south-western section of the Benda Range was traversed, mapped and surface sampled. The Braemar iron facies beds, part of the Benda Siltstone, were located on the northern slopes of the range. These corresponded with the strong linear magnetic high that had been seen in regional aeromagnetic survey data images. The magnetite rich siltstone, which occurs in sparse sub-crops along strike, was mapped and sampled for 2100 m of strike distance extending within EL 5810 and the licensee's adjoining EL 5771 Wharton Hill. Six selected composite rock chip samples were collected of magnetite rich outcrops, and 11 others of quartz veins that have formed parallel to bedding or which infill tension gashes within fine grained sedimentary units. Some prominent quartz veining identified from aerial photography was inspected. This was seen to be associated with a more resistant diamictite unit that forms the main ridge of the range. It appeared that this competent unit had been prone to fracturing, whereas the finer sedimentary beds of siltstone and shale underwent ductile deformation, leading in the latter to only minor veining associated with bedding plane slip. All results of the rock chip samples which were fire assayed for gold returned background values, from 0.02 ppm Au to below detection limit (0.01 ppm Au). The iron content of the Braemar facies samples as shown by laboratory XRF analysis ranged from 23.76% Fe to 40.04% Fe. It was noted that heading towards the south, the magnetite content reduces (as revealed by hand-held magnetic susceptibility meter readings), and the unit thins. 1 x 5 kg minus 2 mm BLEG sample of stream sediment gravel detritus was collected from the northern plain adjacent to the Benda Range, to test it for gold mineralisation draining from the range. A value of 1.1 ppb Au was returned. At the Cockscomb lead prospect located within the northern sub-block of EL 5810, a small soil geochemical grid of 60 samples spaced at 400 m x 50 m was planned for acquisition during 2018, but time constraints meant that it became postponed. During licence Year 3, no further work was done. At the end of the year it was decided to allow tenure to lapse.
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