This report pertains to the Pernatty C Zambian Copperbelt (ZCB) Project which was partially funded by a $298,500 grant through the State Government’s Accelerated Discovery Initiative (ADI) which aims to make a major contribution to achieving the...
This report pertains to the Pernatty C Zambian Copperbelt (ZCB) Project which was partially funded by a $298,500 grant through the State Government’s Accelerated Discovery Initiative (ADI) which aims to make a major contribution to achieving the South Australian Growth Agenda target through supporting the potential discovery of new mineral and groundwater resources. The Pernatty C ZCB Project (EL6675) is situated within the Olympic Cu-Au Province within the eastern Gawler Craton approximately 40 km south of BHP's Oak Dam West deposit 20 km south-west of OZ Minerals' Carrapateena Mine and directly east of the historic Mt Gunson Copper Province which shows strong alignment with the well-known ZCB deposits. Cohiba Minerals Ltd is exploring for sedimentary-hosted Cu-Co-Ag mineralisation, similar to the nearby Mt Gunson Cu-Co-Ag deposits. Recent work has shown that there are considerable similarities between the Adelaide Fold Belt (AFB) and the ZCB in terms of the fundamental stratigraphy and the style of basin closure. Using the ZCB model there is strong evidence to suggest that the unconformable contact between the Tapley Hill Formation (Neoproterozoic) and the underlying Pandurra Formation (Mesoproterozoic) is considered to be prospective for Cu-Co-Ag mineralisation based on the ZCB model. In addition, the carbonaceous Tapley Hill Formation shale shows evidence as a strong redox trap for copper, cobalt and silver mineralisation. Two inclined diamond cored holes (PSDDH01 and PSDDH02) for 2109.3 m were drilled to test for possible ZCB style mineralisation and Iron Oxide – Copper – Gold (IOCG) mineralisation as a secondary target. The drill holes were situated over separate target zones which had been identified from historical geophysical investigations. The drill holes were logged in detail and strip logged for 580 m (PSDDH01) and 590 m (PSDDH02). Core was sampled based on visual determination of mineralisation, with split core samples sent to Australian Laboratory Services (ALS) for a full suite analysis. While the target of high temperature chalcopyrite vein and IOCG related alteration and/or mineralisation was not encountered, significant mineralisation and assay results were obtained from low temperature calcite - sphalerite veins with Zinc-Lead-Silver association. Assay results for include PSDDH01 0.8 m @ 8.6% Zn, 1.9% Pb, 40.1 ppm Ag from 865 m, 2 m @ 1.2% Zn, 0.2% Pb, and 6.5 ppm Ag from 946 m within calcite veins in the Wallaroo Group and 3.8 m @ 3.9% Ag from 223 m in the Tapley Hill Formation Shales. While drillhole PSDDH02 results included 1 m @ 1.06 ppm Ag from 136 m, 2 m @ 4.07 ppm Ag from 236 m from Tapley Hill Formation Shales, and 2.3 m @ 1.97 ppm Ag from 627 m at contact to basement. The assay results from the Pernatty C drilling program were quite unexpected and did not align with the predicted occurrence of a ZCB style mineralisation or with copper skarn or IOCG system mineralisation within the Wallaroo Group basement. As assaying was restricted to areas where mineralisation was visible, additional core will be assayed to determine if additional significant Zn, Pb and Ag exists within the core and as to whether predictors for mineralisation also exist. It remains for Cohiba to determine what these set of results represent, the drilling to date has not supported the reasonably well held view that this is a Zambian Copperbelt Style environment and neither was there any strong evidence for copper skarn or distal IOCG mineralisation at depth.
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