Trundle Project Highest Assays To Date From Southern Extension Zone Discovery
MELBOURNE - Kincora Copper Limited reported on exploration from recent drilling at the Trundle project situated at the brownfield Trundle project, located in the Macquarie Arc of the Lachlan Fold Belt (LFB) in NSW, Australia. Kincora has expanded the mineralized system from 700m to now >1.3km at Trundle Park with the NE Gold zone and Dunns prospects open to the north with Southern Extension Zone and Botfield prospects open to the south set to further significantly expand the mineralized system. Southern Extension Zone (skarn) discovery - Ore grade copper and gold in skarn has been intersected within the Southern Extension Zone (SEZ) over at least a 330m SSE strike and 225m W-E wide system (and open).
Assay results for recent diamond core hole TRDD032 has returned a broad ore grade interval with the highest-grade primary mineralization interval to date the Trundle project. In addition to intersecting prograde and structurally controlled strongly developed retrograde skarn alteration and mineralization, common in all four holes to date within the SEZ, the high-grade interval in TRDD032 hosts a distinct and cemented chalcopyrite-pyrite-quartz-carbonate-muscovite-hematite vein cutting prograde garnet-pyroxene skarn. This high-grade interval returned 2m @ 12.6 g/t gold and 2.32% copper within a broader 34m @ 1.02 g/t gold and 0.24% copper.
The four completed holes (TRDD029-32) have confirmed a tabular, bedded, mineralized skarn system across multiple horizons with greater than 120m cumulative skarn widths in three of the four holes . This is very encouraging, large and significant in the context of the geology and mineralization within the Macquarie Arc, and assists to provide various vectors for follow up drilling.
A causative porphyry intrusive source for this extensive mineralization is yet to be confirmed. A higher grade and larger intrusive porphyry is Kincora's primary exploration target and interpreted to be on a lateral setting.
With assay results to hand, various intervals of interest have been noted below this highly mineralized zone, also for petrology studies. These intervals include: high pyroxene to garnet ratios; intense calcic plagioclase alteration in rocks with relict porphyritic textures; and, intermediate-mafic chemistry. Garnet-pyroxene exoskarn have been noted in volcaniclastic wallrock adjacent to both these skarn bodies. While there is intense metasomatic alteration in and adjacent to these skarn bodies, there is not yet evidence for hydrothermal fluid exsolution.
Most recent hole at the Trundle Park prospect, TRDD033, stepped out ~225m east of the mineralized magnetite skarns intersected in TRDD032 and also south to test the southern strike potential of intrusions intersected to the north (~450m south of previously intersected mineralized intrusions in hole TRDD010). While skarn hosted mineralization typical of the SEZ was intersected in TRDD033, which is approximately 660m west from hole TRDD031, it commenced at significantly shallower depth (from around 243m), was not as well developed and also, in part, hosted a zone of intense sheet-like veins with multiple minor felsic intrusions (interpreted to be earlier, not causative) also noted in the hole. Analysis and interpretation is ongoing to determine if TRDD033 is correlated to the SEZ or the Eastern Zone at the Trundle Park prospect, Botfield prospect, or is a different zone in its own right.
John Holliday, Technical Committee chair, and Peter Leaman, VP of Exploration, said, "The broad ore grade intersection, including a very high-grade, chalcopyrite-rich zone in hole TRDD032, further confirms the scale of the Southern Extension Zone (SEZ) and the potential at Trundle for an economic porphyry or porphyry-related (skarn) orebody. The extensive mineralized footprint at surface across the wider Trundle Park and adjacent prospect areas (Botfield to the south/south-east and Dunn's to the north) provides ample exploration space for new discoveries/deposits in what is clearly a similar geological setting to the Cadia and Northparkes porphyry mineral centers. With assay results for all holes in the SEZ we are now concluding a review for the next stage of priority drilling at this exciting project."