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Neometals (ASX:NMT) has this week identified primary copper sulphide mineralisation beneath the historic Rinaldi copper pit within the Barrambie gold project in Western Australia, with copper intersected at ~70 metres vertical depth below surface in an RC drilling program undertaken in March.
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The five holes were designed to test directly beneath the shallow historic workings and short-length strike extensions to the north and south.
The company also examined 526 drill samples collected at the historic Rinaldi copper prospect, with 50 submitted for expedited copper analysis to provide an early indication of the potential copper grades.
Significant intervals included seven metres at 1.72% copper from 82 metres, including one metre at 5.06% copper; and five metres at 1.26% copper from 75 metres, including one metre at 2.43% copper.
Neometals is continuing to progress routine analysis for copper, gold and silver in the remaining Rinaldi copper prospect drill samples.
The explorer’s MD, Chris Reed, said that with primary copper sulphide mineralisation identified in the recent drilling program, the next exploration step is to conduct a dipole-dipole induced polarisation (DDIP) survey to assess scale and to model the geometry of the primary sulphide material.
The survey is scheduled to commence next month.
“This initial drilling has successfully confirmed the presence of primary copper sulphide mineralisation beneath the historic Rinaldi workings, which we consider a key step-change in understanding the prospect’s potential,” Mr Reed said.
“The early assays, while based on a limited subset of samples, demonstrate encouraging grades and widths for copper sulphide mineralisation and support the interpretation of a broader mineralised system at depth.
“With further assays pending, we are now advancing geophysical work, including an induced polarisation survey, to better define the scale and geometry of copper sulphide mineralisation and prioritise follow-up drilling.”
Government records show that high-grade copper was mined at Rinaldi in 1944 and between 1956 and 1961 from shallow open pit and underground workings to approximately 30 metres vertical depth.
Reports show that copper mineralisation was hosted in a one to four metre-wide laminated quartz vein, at shallow depths.
The recent five RC holes show the laminated quartz vein had a consistent thickness of 7.0m downhole length at approximately 70m vertical below surface, indicating a potential thickening of the quartz vein with depth.
NMT is up +3.57%, to 5.8¢. Mkt cap $43.14M.
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