DiscovEx cleared to explore Pilbara prospects

DiscovEx Resources can tick heritage surveys off its to-do list ahead of planned drilling at the Contact prospect within its Sylvania project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

Drilling at the 2.5km-long target area is due to begin in August, in addition to geophysics targeting copper-gold and lead-zinc mineralisation at the project’s Prairie Downs fault zone.

In conjunction with the Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation, DiscovEx has completed heritage surveys at the north-western extension of the Contact shear zone, with the area’s traditional owners clearing the way for multiple drill lines.

Additional line clearances were also completed on behalf of mining giant Rio Tinto as part of its option agreement with DiscovEx for the sale of iron ore rights at Sylvania.

The company’s primary target zone is interpreted to intersect the regionally-significant Nanjilgardy fault, which hosts Kalamazoo Resources’ 1.6-million-ounce Mt Olympus gold project.

Drill-testing of the substantial target area is on track to begin in August, with results anticipated shortly afterwards. The additional drill areas cleared by Rio Tinto, all of which are also proximal to the Contact shear, are  likely to be tested by reverse-circulation (RC) drilling in August.

An additional heritage clearance survey is expected next week, paving the way for work at other prospect areas including Husky, Murphys and Kelpie.

DiscovEx has also confirmed it has completed a review of historical induced-polarisation (IP) geophysical data, which suggests that its technology could be effective in identifying mineralised sulphide bodies over parts of the Prairie Downs fault zone, an area south-west of the Contact prospect.

Management believes technological advances since the original geophysical surveys were completed in 1994 will deliver new data to better identify potential strike extensions of defined mineralisation. A geophysics program has now been planned and contractors engaged to complete multiple lines of dipole-dipole IP across the fault zone.

The program will target copper-gold and lead-zinc mineralisation across three areas along the fault zone – the Husky, Wolf, and Prairie Downs prospects – with particular emphasis on extensions to the massive and disseminated sulphide bodies identified historically.

Of the limited historical drilling completed at the Husky prospect, significant quartz veining and shearing of about 13 metres was intersected along 500m of strike, with associated anomalous gold and copper results. Results included up to 11m grading 0.35 grams per tonne of gold and 10m grading 0.6 per cent copper, including 1m at 3.68 per cent copper.

Management anticipates that any extensions to the mineralisation will be highlighted by the upcoming geophysics program.

The company will also test the interpreted eastern continuation of the Wolf deposit. The focus of an IP survey will be the down-plunge extension to the high-grade massive disseminated sulphide core, where previous drilling returned significant intersections including 8m at 11.1 per cent zinc and 8 per cent lead, 8m at 9.96 per cent zinc and 8.5 per cent lead and 14.4m at a grade of 7.7 per cent zinc and 6.2 per cent lead.

There are also plans to test the Prairie Downs resource, which currently sits at 2.98 million tonnes, grading 4.94 per cent zinc, 1.59 per cent lead and 15 grams per tonne of gold and remains open to the south-east. 

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