Aruma Resources has kicked off ground gravity and induced-polarisation (IP) geophysical surveys at its Fiery Creek project near Mount Isa in Queensland to test areas of outcropping copper and identify drill targets.
The detailed geophysics are part of the company’s new mission to acquire data of sufficient quality and resolution to enable prospect-scale drill targeting, which had not been possible with previous geophysical data over the area.
The gravity surveys will precede the IP work at Aruma’s Piper and Fiery Creek prospects. The IP will be run over specific areas highlighted by the gravity, which has already begun, based on 3000 stations arrayed on a 400m-by-100m grid spacing.
The new work has been prompted in part by results from recently-completed soil geochemistry that revealed finds of 11.83 per cent copper and 17.7 grams per tonne silver, 11.53 per cent copper and 18.8g/t silver and 9.95 per cent copper and 31.3g/t silver among other lower, but still significant responses for both metals. Intriguingly, the program also shook some antimony out of the bush, with a surprising 10,883 parts per million, which was supported by other hits at 2305ppm and 2035ppm.
Management says the soil geochemical copper anomalism is not confined solely to Fiery Creek and Piper and extends beyond those two principal target areas.
The tenor and extent of the surface geochemical responses is echoed by historical results from previous explorers Sumitomo Corporation and Anglo American that turned up in data research with copper results of 36 per cent, 25.4 per cent, 15.2 per cent and 11.2 per cent copper from multiple prospects across the project area, including at the Fiery Creek, Twilight, Hellfire and Piper prospects.
Aruma’s strategy for deploying its gravity surveys is to target key prospect areas where previous fieldwork has encountered meaningful copper, silver and antimony values or trends. The prospects include Piper and Fiery Creek in the north and south of the project area, respectively, but the gravity work will also embrace wider envelopes around each centre within grid areas measuring about 11km north-to-south and between 8km and 9km east-to-west.
Aruma Resources managing director Glenn Grayson said: “These surveys will help us better understand the subsurface geology and refine our drill targets, bringing us closer to unlocking the project’s full potential. These exploration methods are considered effective in the exploration of the Mt Isa district. Using them to test the early targets defined at Fiery Creek will allow us to not only advance these prospects to drilling, but to also determine if the methods can be applied to the greater project area.”
The IP survey is planned to use a static spread array with 50m receiver dipoles and 100m transmitter dipoles across three lines at Piper for a total line distance of about 3.3km, with lines arrayed north/north-east to configure them at right angles to the prevailing strike of the mineralised Piper fault system. It will employ a frequency aimed at geological enhancement and definition of chargeable and resistive targets for the company’s inaugural drilling.
The Fiery Creek project lies in the Mount Isa Inlier in northern Queensland, which is renowned for its multiple world-class copper deposits. The project geology is known to host copper deposits elsewhere in the Mount Isa inlier and its structural complexity – which offers many plumbing systems and repositories for mineral concentrations – is seen as a positive aspect of the project’s potential.
Aruma plans to explore the project for stratiform copper deposits and will also assess its iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) potential. Management says the launch of its gravity and IP geophysical programs marks a significant step forward in the company’s systematic exploration of the Fiery Creek project.
Its next steps will include integration of the new geophysical results with existing data to refine and finalise drill targets in preparation for a maiden drilling program, with the aim of having all of its operational and logistical ducks in a row to be ready to kick off drilling early next year.
Aruma’s high-grade copper-antimony samples from Fiery Creek revealed a fortnight ago got its share price moving, with a massive volume of more than 122 million units changing hands.
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By Doug Bright
