Antler continues to emerge as one of the highest-grade undeveloped copper deposits globally. “It is a very exciting discovery and very real near-term development proposition,” New World Resources (ASX:NWC) says.

High-grade assays have been returned from all nine holes drilled over 500m of strike at the Antler copper deposit in Arizona, with outstanding intercepts in both the new ‘South Shoot’ and ‘Main Shoot’.

Highlights include:

– 6.2m at 4.05 per cent copper, 12.13 per cent zinc, 1.59 per cent lead, 50.9 g/t silver and 0.24 g/t gold from 343.4m at ‘South Shoot’ (6.2m @ 7.2 per cent copper equivalent); and

– 7.1m @ 5.85 per cent copper, 15.20 per cent zinc, 0.93. per cent lead, 47.8 g/t silver and 0.55 g/t gold from 289.0m at ‘Main Shoot’ (7.1m @ 9.5 per cent copper equivalent)

These kinds of intercepts do not come along often.

The exceptionally high grades returned from one of the discovery holes drilled into the South Shoot is particularly encouraging, New World managing director Mike Haynes says.

“In that hole, a 6.2m thick interval averages 7.2 per cent copper-equivalent and only 8m further down the same hole a different 6.7m thick interval averages almost 9 per cent copper-equivalent,” he says.

“This adds extremely valuable high-grade tonnes to our resource base, in a newly discovered area.

Additionally, a 7.1m thick intersection in the shallower part of the Main Shoot averages almost 10 per cent copper-equivalent, while one of the deepest holes assayed returned a 19.1m-thick intersection at 3.3 per cent copper-equivalent.

“We continue to add substantial and valuable high-grade tonnes there as well,” Haynes says.

“These are outstanding assay results that reaffirm we have a really prospective, very-high-grade near-term development proposition in Antler.”

Assays are pending for 12 additional completed drill holes, with these results expected over the coming weeks.

Two rigs continue drilling at the Antler Project, with 10 RC pre-collars yet to be completed with diamond core tails.

A ground geophysics survey also kicked off this week to help refine targets for deep extensional drilling.

Antler: a near term production opportunity

Early last year, New World acquired the Antler copper deposit in Arizona, which quickly became the company’s main focus as a potential low capital cost, high-margin, near-term production opportunity.

Antler was discovered in the late 1800s. Sporadic production between 1916 and 1970 totalled ~70,000 tonnes of ore at a grade around 2.9 per cent copper, 6.9 per cent zinc, 1.1% lead, 31 g/t silver and 0.3 g/t gold.

Between 1970 and 1975, after the most recent episode of mining, 19 holes were drilled from the surface and underground to define high-grade mineralisation immediately beneath historical ‘stopes’ that could be rapidly exploited on recommencement of mining operations.

Despite the presence of this sizeable and high-grade resource, mining never resumed, and no further work was undertaken at the project – until New World Resources became involved.

New World believes there is excellent potential to rapidly develop a low-OPEX/low-CAPEX mining operation at Antler.

The company’s immediate objective is to rapidly delineate a high-grade JORC Resource – a must have for ASX listed miners and explorers — which can be utilised in mining studies to evaluate the potential to bring the Antler Deposit back into production in the near term.

Two diamond core rigs continue to drill at the Antler project, 24-hours per day, 7 days per week.

 

This article was developed in collaboration with New World Resources, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

 

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

 

Read MoreCopper

Featured Companies

You might be interested in