Additional drilling is being planned to test the large off-hole conductor.
Arrow Minerals Ltd (ASX:AMD) has identified a highly conductive anomalous target in copper-gold drilling at the Strickland Project in Western Australia.
The latest exploration program targeted five highly anomalous geochemistry and electromagnetic (EM) signatures characteristic of volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) copper-gold deposits, such as the Golden Grove deposit.
Arrow applied a combined approach of reverse circulation (RC) drilling in conjunction with downhole electromagnetic (DHEM) geophysical surveys to identify the presence of sulphides related to a mineralised VHMS system, both within and proximal to the drill holes.
Results suggest a major mineralised system
Speaking to the results, managing director Howard Golden said: “The outcomes of Arrow’s latest program at Strickland have increased our understanding of the mineralised geological system that we identified there.
“We collected and evaluated data systematically using multidisciplinary exploration techniques.
“This has resulted in the development of an exciting target with geochemical, geophysical and geological traits that suggest the presence of a major mineralised system.
“We are now moving into the planning phase for the next round of work at Strickland and evaluating a number of potential options to advance the project.”
Two distinct zones of conductance
At drill hole STKV009, the downhole EM (DHEM) survey confirmed the presence of two distinct zones of conductance – the first, Plate 1, is 50 metres long and 50 metres wide with a conductance of 150 siemens and the second, Plate 2, 300 metres long and 100 metres wide, with a conductance of 1000 siemens.
Assay results returned from samples collected from drill hole STKV009 highlighted a zone of elevated copper, 20 metres at 0.22% copper from 120 metres.
The anomalous copper zone is in close association with the modelled DHEM conductor Plate 1 and confirms the conductance response is related to copper sulphides.
A major off-hole conductor, modelled as Plate 2, has an area 12 times larger and a conductance 100 times greater than that of Plate 1.
This large area of elevated conductance coincides with the significant EM anomaly, T-08B, identified by the earlier SkyTEM survey.
Next on the agenda
Arrow is now evaluating the Strickland Project land package to identify similar coincident geochemical and geophysical signatures that would form the basis for the next phase of work.
When completed Arrow will rank and prioritise all targets available to the company to ensure resources are deployed to advance the highest-ranked targets with priority.