Norwest copper-gold rock chips expand Bali project

Norwest has discovered very high-grade copper-gold quartz veins across multiple target areas at its Bali project in Western Australia where drilling is currently underway.

Wide-spaced rock chip samples collected across 2.25km of exposed quartz veins at the new Deep South area returned assays averaging about 21% copper and 1.2 grams per tonne (g/t) gold with peak results of 46% copper and 6.7g/t gold.

Rock chip sampling and mapping has also extended the Bali Shear mineralisation to a strike of over 5.5km.

Adding further interest for Norwest Minerals (ASX:NWM), neighbouring explorer Techgen Metals has reported rock chips grading up to 55% about 8km southeast along strike from Bali at the Station Creek project.

Chief executive officer Charles Schaus said the discovery of the new copper-gold bearing quartz veins was exciting given that the company has just started exploration of the Deep South area.

“Drilling is already underway to test four historical copper prospects along the Bali Shear, whilst drill planning to test the down dip extent of these new high-grade copper-gold quartz veins is being undertaken alongside ongoing exploration fieldwork programs,” he added.

Deep South exploration

The five newly discovered copper-gold bearing quartz veins are associated with near vertical dipping, laterally extensive, narrow shear zones striking northwest to southeast parallel to the main Bali Shear.

A geologist has been mobilised to site to continue the surface exploration work at the Deep South work with the resulting information used to develop a drill program to test the down dip extent of the new high grade copper-gold quartz veins.

Norwest is also continuing infill rock chip sampling along the five veins and exploring for additional copper-gold bearing structures.

Current drilling

The company’s current 4,000m reverse circulation drill program will test four high priority targets along the main Bali shear zone which were identified from historical drill intercepts averaging 6.3% copper and topping up at 6m grading 7.17% copper.

Of these, the Bali Lo and Bali High copper prospects saw small-scale mining in the 1960s followed by some shallow drilling though no further work was carried out since 1989 prior to Norwest’s arrival.

Bali East and Bali South were both identified by very high-grade copper in rock chips reported by the company in 2018.

This article was developed in collaboration with Norwest Minerals, 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.