Cooper Metals Ltd (ASX:CPM) has observed sulphide mineralisation in three diamond drill holes at the Brumby Ridge prospect within the Mt Isa East Copper-Gold Project in northwest Queensland.
Cooper began diamond drilling on February 29 at Brumby Ridge to follow up significant RC drill results of up to 71 metres at 2.80% copper and 0.05 g/t gold from 115 metres, including 24 metres at 5.37% copper and 0.10g/t gold from 115 metres.
The aim of the current drilling is to determine the grade and size potential of the copper-gold mineralisation first intersected in 2023.
So far Cooper has only drill tested less than 100 metres of strike length of the approximately 400-metre-long geochemical anomaly and 300-metre-long induced chargeability response at Brumby Ridge.
Three holes completed
Cooper reports that three diamond drill holes for 753.4 metres have been completed, with each intersecting a relatively narrow zone of (around 1-3 metres) visual sulphide mineralisation in a steeply dipping north-northwest trending sulphide mineralised quartz-carbonate vein.
While assay results for the diamond drilling are pending, initial geological logging and portable XRF sampling have failed to detect significant downhole lengths of the expected copper sulphide mineralisation.
Cooper says that the controls on copper-gold mineralisation and implications on the size and grade potential of Brumby Ridge Prospect are still not clear and require further drill data to resolve.
RC drilling to start
“Three diamond holes have been completed and have intercepted a relatively narrow steeply dipping sulphide mineralised quartz-carbonate vein," said Cooper Metals managing director Ian Warland.
"So far, the diamond drilling has not intersected the expected broad intercepts of copper mineralisation found in three of the 2023 RC holes.
“At this early stage of follow-up drilling, the implications for the size and grade potential of Brumby Ridge is not yet well understood, requiring more drill holes to determine its potential.
“Diamond drilling is still in progress and RC drilling will start shortly focusing on two areas initially. Firstly, around drill hole 23MERC028 and secondly over induced polarisation chargeability anomaly on PDP line L10200N.
“To date, Cooper has only tested less than 100 metres of the approximately 300 to 400 metres of strike delineated by geophysics and geochemistry. Further updates will be provided on the drilling as the program develops.”
Cooper says that the program of further diamond and RC drilling will continue in order to better understand the controls on mineralisation and therefore the size and grade potential at Brumby Ridge.
Alongside the drilling update, Cooper has released an investor presentation to the ASX for the Brisbane Mining Investor Conference.