SUMMARY
• 2021 diamond hole BTDD001 (and BTDD003) tested the core of a large MIMDAS IP chargeability anomaly located on the outer edge of the Bottletree Prospect area, defined by a 1.5km x 1km soil copper anomaly
• Mineralisation in the hole is a combination of disseminated copper as well as late-stage copper veins in chloritic shears, interpreted to have formed distal to the core of a buried mineralised porphyry where higher copper grades are expected
• The primary target at Bottletree is the buried Cu-Au-Mo porphyry with the core interpreted to be located about 500m southwest of the IP anomaly
• Higher grade sheeted and stockwork porphyry-style Cu-Au-Mo mineralised veins are expected to be developed at moderate depths within the porphyry
• Although not the primary target, the Distal Copper Zone tested by BTDD001 is, nevertheless, significant with variable grade mineralisation over 550m down-hole, open to the west at depth and northwest and southeast along the 750m strike of the structural corridor. Results from BTDD001 include:
• 552.6m @ 0.16% Cu, 0.02g/t Au, 0.7g/t Ag from 132m to EOH (684.6m), including 10m @ 0.72% Cu, 0.08g/t Au, 2.1g/t Ag from 309m; 5m @ 1.14% Cu, 0.13g/t Au, 3.3g/t Ag from 310m; 87m @ 0.28% Cu, 0.03g/t Au, 1.0g/t Ag from 432m; 20m @ 0.44% Cu, 0.06g/t Au, 1.6g/t Ag from 565m
• Peak values of: 4m @ 1.32% Cu, 0.16g/t Au, 3.9g/t Ag from 313m – incl 1m @ 2.79% Cu, 0.24g/t Au, 7.8g/t Ag from 313m; 2m @ 1.45% Cu, 0.33g/t Au, 5.5g/t Ag from 580m
• Good potential exists at the Distal Copper Zone for the delineation of a Cu-Au resource of significant grade and volume; the zone is only partly tested with 4 holes, including 2018 hole SBTRD006 located 180m to the northwest of BTDD001; a rock chip with 11.34% Cu suggests higher grade mineralisation present
• Third hole (BTDD004, yet to be assayed), collared 200m west of the Distal Copper Zone and drilled as a scissor hole to BTDD001 and BTDD003, confirmed extensive mineralised, porphyry-type vein sets, 200m above intense mineralisation intersected at the bottom of BTDD001
• Four other large near-surface high order copper zones, including the central porphyry target, exist within the Bottletree area and are also considered primary targets as they appear to exhibit porphyry geochemical indicators and carry higher gold grades
• Awaiting results of the new soil geochemical survey over Bottletree that will give a clearer picture of zonation to assist targeting of mineralised porphyries
• Large multi-stage drilling program planned for the end of Q1 2022
Superior Resources Limited (ASX:SPQ) (Superior, the Company) announced today the first assay results from a 2,300m diamond drilling program at its Bottletree Copper Prospect, which forms part of the Company’s 100%-owned Greenvale Project, approximately 210kms west of Townsville, Queensland. Assay results for rock chip samples taken from the Bottletree area are also reported.
BTDD001, drilled to 684.6m, is one of two deep core holes testing a large MIMDAS induced polarisation (IP) chargeability anomaly located on the outer edge of a 1.5km x 1km soil copper anomaly, which defines the Bottletree Prospect. The IP chargeability anomaly highlighted a part of a large zone of disseminated and vein copper mineralisation that extends for 750m within a major northwest-striking mineralised structural corridor.
The hole intersected extensive disseminated and vein copper-gold-silver mineralisation over variably broad intervals from 132m to 681m, with individual intervals ranging up to 87m. The disseminated zones include numerous zones of high grade, intensely mineralised shear-related chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite-quartz veins returning up to 2.79% Cu.
Drilling confirmed that the extensive copper mineralisation highlighted by the chargeability anomaly does not represent part of the main mineralised porphyry stock, but late-stage mineralisation sourced from a large copper-gold porphyry system located nearby and to the west of the anomaly. Significantly, a new understanding of the polymetallic veining suggests the mineralisation has affinities with late-stage shear veining in some Central European porphyry deposits that are developed after the main stockwork and sheeted vein mineralisation stages of the porphyry.
In addition, the mineralisation is more extensive than indicated by the chargeability anomaly and crops out at surface. Although the drilling did not identify the targeted porphyry stock, the amount of copper mineralisation is considerable and is currently observed over at least 750m surface strike, 500m width and 600m vertical extent.
Superior’s Managing Director, Peter Hwang commented: “Each of the three holes drilled at Bottletree last year has taken our understandings of the mineralisation system and the prospect to new levels. Our initial focus was on the large MIMDAS IP anomaly, but the turn of events that directed us westwards to a much larger and higher potential target was exciting to see.
“Although the mineralisation associated with the IP anomaly is not the targeted porphyry deposit, the amount of copper being identified there is significant, starts from surface and there is good potential to define a sizeable deposit.
“While new multi-element soil data is awaited to give a better idea of zonation and vectors to porphyry mineralisation, the historical data shows at least four other zones of copper – gold molybdenum interest that have the potential to produce shallow copper-gold resources. The presence of anomalous molybdenum in several of these may also suggest connection to other buried porphyry intrusions.
“We are now well placed to test a central porphyry target where there is a large oval satellite feature supported by coincident significant copper and gold in soils and significant anomalous molybdenum in historical hole SBTRC003 that may correlate with molybdenite in hole BTDD004 some 250m to the east. Because molybdenum occurs proximal to the core of a mineralised porphyry intrusive, and there is no antimony in rock chips to indicate high levels in a zoned porphyry system, we are confident of intersecting a buried porphyry and associated mineralisation at more moderate rather than substantial depths.
“Bottletree represents the first of several opportunities for Superior to discover and develop large copper-gold and nickel-copper-PGE deposits within the richly endowed mineralised belts secured by the Company’s Greenvale Project tenements.
“These new findings bode well for confirming whether other copper prospects in the Company’s portfolio including Cockie Creek, Wyandotte and Galah Dam have porphyry associations.
“Together with the recent positive developments at the nearby Steam Engine Gold Project, Superior is in an excellent position to build value in its projects during 2022, as we assemble growing resources of copper, gold and other key minerals in an environment of rising demand.”