Coincident copper, lead and zinc soil anomalies have defined a new set of targets for mineral explorer Strickland Metals at the company’s Iroquois zinc-lead project in WA’s Earaheedy Basin 100km north-west of Wiluna. The new targets lie west of the company’s 2021 Iroquois discovery and Malecite prospect and come from a large soil geochemical program of 2510 samples.
The work was designed to highlight additional fertile structures that could connect Strickland’s initial Iroquois discovery to Rumble Resources’ flagship Earaheedy project that sits contiguously to the north.
The copper soil anomaly defined from Strickland’s soil sampling appears to be an accurate marker of potential feeder structures that are interpreted to generate the primary zinc and lead mineralisation discovered at Iroquois, according to the company.
In October last year, Strickland announced it had hit paydirt at Iroquois with an initial five-hole campaign returning thick mineralised intercepts including 23 metres at 5.5 per cent combined zinc and lead from 108m. Notably, the intercepts were about 20km along strike of Rumble Resources’ significant base metal discovery in April.
A ’chloritic’ rock unit trending north at Iroquois has piqued Strickland’s interest. The rock unit suggests its system is continuing north-west and towards the tenement boundary of Rumble, according to the company.
The company plans to recommence a native heritage survey on October 24 after it was delayed due to a local cultural event. The restructured survey will now comprehensively cover the initial Iroquois discovery, Malecite prospect and two of the company’s newly identified areas of anomalism.
At the conclusion of the survey, the broader Iroquois project will be ready for substantial drill programs to test the various targets.
Strickland Metals Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Bray said: “The promising story at Iroquois is continuing to develop with the delineation of multiple new targets. Regional reconnaissance work and geophysical surveys have occurred in recent months with a view to locating promising areas for follow up drill testing.
The Malecite prospect – about 1.5km south-east of the Iroquois discovery – presents as an attractive target for the explorer given rock chip sampling in the area returned peak results of 7.3 per cent lead, 0.5 per cent copper, 4.8 grams per tonne silver, 0.4 per cent zinc and 25 per cent manganese.
Strickland’s Iroquois zinc-lead discovery in the Earaheedy Basin is 80 per cent owned by the company and 20 per cent by Gibb River Diamonds. The company says its discovery is shaping up as a “Mississippi Valley Type zinc lead” style of mineralisation. As the style of deposit typically generates a cluster of deposits, Strickland was expecting to find multiple new prospects.
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By Matt Birney
