Norfolk Metals has commenced drilling of the 3rd hole at its Roger River project in Tasmania – and is confident the maiden drill program will highlight the prospectivity of the region.
Tasmania is host to several world-class base and precious metal deposits such as MMG (HKEX: 1208) Rosebury and New Century’s (ASX:NCZ) Mount Lyell projects.
Norfolk Metals’ (ASX:NFL) 261km2 Roger River project covers over 30 kilometres strike of the highly prospective Roger River Fault zone, which is host to several gold and copper occurrences as well as alteration, silicification and diatreme breccias typical of epithermal precious metal deposits.
Initial assays for the first hole of the maiden drilling program showed minor copper assays from the first laboratory test work with a further copper screening study currently in progress to determine the amount of copper in the sample present as coarse fractions.
More assays are pending.
Increasing geological understanding
Drilling is currently underway at the third hole at target A1b, which is expected to go to a target depth of around 320m.
“As we continue to drill our priority targets we increase our understanding of the potential source and content of mineralisation at Roger River,” Norfolk executive chairman Ben Phillips said.
“The exclusion of visual native copper in the second hole highlights the importance of the first hole noting they are approximately 2km apart.
“Upon completion of the maiden drill program we can expect to compile enough information to present geological insights into the mineral relevance and prospectivity of this exciting virgin belt in Northwest Tasmania.”
Porphyry potential
Induced Polarization (IP) is being considered as a geophysics tool to define the broad halo of the coarse native copper, which may represent and possibly be used as a vector to locate a porphyry copper system.
Norfolk points to the Goonumbla district in NSW as an example, where finely disseminated native copper has been observed as a distal halo, approximately 500m outboard of each porphyry copper deposit.
Bed-rock geochemical sampling for copper and gold supported by ground magnetic and induced polarization surveys have proven to be the most effective exploration methods for detecting the soil-covered mineralization in this district.
Norfolk thinks the same could be true at Roger River, with the plan to locate possible sulphide mineralisation associated with the native copper intersected in the first hole.
In addition, the company will obtain approval from Mineral Resources Tasmania for a soil sampling program at the project.
This article was developed in collaboration with Norfolk Metals Limited (ASX:NFL), 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.