Drilling Confirms DSO Potential of Peak Hill Project
Sydney, Feb 20, 2012 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Joint Venture partners Padbury Mining Limited (
ASX:PDY) and Aurium Resources (ASX:AGU) are pleased to announce highly encouraging results from the recent DSO evaluation drilling at their flagship Peak Hill Iron Project in Western Australia's Mid West region.
Focusing on the project's Telecom Hill East prospect within the Robinson Ranges, the reverse circulation percussion (RCP) drilling program has confirmed hematite and goethite enrichment of the target area (See Figure 1 in full announcement), identified from geological mapping and aeromagnetic survey data taken in 2011.
The early results indicate the DSO mineralisation extends over a strike length of at least 600m to a maximum known depth of 89m (down hole) within one of the main Banded Ironstone Formation units of the Robinson Range Formation. About 40% of the assay results for the Telecom East program are still outstanding. The resource potential of the area will be assessed once all results are returned.
Padbury Mining Managing Director Gary Stokes said the results were extremely positive.
"Direct Shipping Ore offers Padbury more flexible development opportunities and potential as well as the development of the Peak Hill magnetite processing operation, which promises to be significant," Mr Stokes said.
"These early results are very encouraging and we look forward to the completion of laboratory work and continuing our exploration program."
This RC drilling was undertaken in conjunction with ongoing resource evaluation programs for the Telecom Hill magnetite deposits, which currently have an Inferred JORC compliant resource of 850Mt @ 27.3% Fe.
Drilling has recommenced on site after a number of weather delays and will initially target magnetite deposits at Telecom Hill West, but will return to the Telecom East target area to test for extensions to the DSO mineralisation.
As well as drilling, preparation for the next phase of regional exploration are well advanced to asses the substantial areas of untested BIF stratigraphy present in the project tenure away from Telecom Hill.
DSO Drilling Program
The Telecom Hill East DSO drilling program was completed during November-December 2011. It comprised 32 holes (TH109 - TH140) for a total of 2907m. All holes were drilled at a declination of -60 degrees to a nominal depth of 100m and had varying orientations depending on the orientation of BIF stratigraphy.
All holes were sampled at one-metre intervals and analysed for a standard iron suit using fused disc XRF and LOI by TGA at ALS Laboratories in Perth. The results for 14 holes are still outstanding. QA-QC analysis of results received to date indicates the ALS results fall within the Padbury control limits. When all results are returned from the Laboratory, the JV partners will look to assess the resource potential of the area.
Program Results
The program has been highly successful and delineated an area of DSO mineralisation that extends over a strike length of 600m within one of the main BIF units of the Robinson Range Formation. The mineralisation occurs as massive hematite and goethite enrichment within the BIF and is most likely to result of a mixture of hypogene and supergene enrichment. The mineralised zone appears to be conformable with the BIF stratigraphy and is open to the east and west (see Figure 1 and Figure 2 in full announcement). Additional drilling has been planned to test for extensions and will be completed as part of the drilling program underway on site.
Of the holes completed to date, the best results occur in hole TH122 which is directly along strike to the west from the DSO discovery hole HRC001. The mineralisation in TH122 is hematite rich and extends to a down hole depth of 89m.
As a whole, the deposit area tends to have higher quantities of hematite with lesser goethite at depth and the near surface intercepts tend to have a more goethite-rich assemblage. The mineralisation has low alumina values and variable silica and phosphorus values. LOI values vary according to the relative quantities of hematite and goethite.
It is interpreted that the mineralisation is open to the east and west and in some areas at depth. Drilling to test for extensions to the west will start this quarter; however drill access to the east is difficult due to steep terrain. Before undertaking the earthworks required to test this area, the JV partners will liaise with the local traditional owners to ensure this work is complete in a culturally sensitive manner.
Telecom Hill Prospect History
In 2009, the Peak Hill Project JV partners recognised the potential of the Telecom Hill deposit area to host significant tonnages of magnetite beneficiation feed ore (BFO) and since then, they have undertaken a number of exploration programs to increase understanding of the deposits. In addition to the magnetite potential, several small DSO deposits have been investigated to complement the magnetite project.
The JV partners have committed to the rapid evaluation of the prospect, which to date has included surface rock chip sampling; resource evaluation; RC percussion drilling programs, aeromagnetic interpretation and a detailed geological mapping - all with positive results.
The Telecom Hill prospect lies within Exploration Licence E52/1860. The principal target within the tenement is the Robinson Range Iron Formation, a sequence of interbedded BIF, granular iron formation (GIF), siltstone and shale. The iron formation stratigraphy forms a prominent ridge (Telecom Hill) that strikes east-west within the tenement.
Drilling at Telecom Hill to date has tested just 4km of the identified 10km strike length of the targeted are of iron mineralisation. Exploration data indicates substantial potential for the delineation of additional mineralisation.
For the Full Tables please view at:
http://media.abnnewswire.net/media/en/docs/ASX-PDY-578670.pdf
Contact
Padbury Mining Limited
T: +61-8-6460-0250
F: +61-8-6460-0254
WWW: www.padburymining.com.au
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