Havilah Resources (ASX: HAV) is planning to run a detailed, high resolution, airborne electromagnetic survey or AEM to explore for additional copper-cobalt resources in the Mutooroo copper-cobalt district, located in New South Wales, eastern Australia.
The survey is planned to commence in mid-April and it is expected to take at least three weeks to complete. This type of study has never been done over Havilah's priority targets in the vicinity of the Mutooroo copper-cobalt deposit and Havilah expects it to be highly effective in identifying Mutooroo style massive sulphide mineralisation, based on previous orientation EM surveys.
In a press release, the miner said that approximately 1,344 line kilometres will be flown on 200 metres spaced lines using 1250/3050 line orientation to provide the best coverage of the interpreted north-northeast trending stratigraphy. Final data, maps and report are expected two to three months after program completion.
The AEM survey is planned to commence in mid-April and it is expected to take at least three weeks to complete."This type of AEM survey has proven to be very effective in detecting massive sulphide mineralisation at depths in excess of 200m. The absence of thick conductive overburden and the shallow depth of oxidation within the Mutooroo area should aid in its effectiveness. Compilation of previous airborne EM surveys has highlighted a large gap in the detailed coverage which this survey will fill," the media statement reads.
In detail, the AEM program is planned to cover strong copper ? cobalt surface geochemical anomalies identified by Havilah in 2018 at the Sidewinder, Mutooroo South and Copperhead prospects; the existing sulphide drill target at Scorpion and extensions along the Scorpion Trend magnetic anomalies; a prospect called King Brown where previous drilling intersected anomalies near surface copper mineralisation; and areas under shallow cover, as well as areas where surface sampling has not been completed.
"The planned VTEM TM Max survey will fill a key strategic gap in the detailed airborne EM coverage in the area and will cover the majority of our current high priority geochemical targets within 10 km of the Mutooroo Resource," said Havilah's Technical Director, Chris Giles, in the media brief. "It is the next logical step in investigating the massive sulphide potential of the Mutooroo Copper-Cobalt District in the vicinity of the Mutooroo deposit. The definition of additional copper-cobalt sulphide resources in the area is a key element in advancing the new strategy of longer mine life with higher throughput at Mutooroo."
Mutooroo, a lode-style massive sulphide copper-cobalt deposit located 60 kilometres west of the city of Broken Hill, contains a Measured+Indicated+Inferred JORC Resource of 13.1 million tonnes of 1.48% copper for a total contained 195,000 tonnes of copper, 8,400 tonnes of cobalt, 44,600 ounces of gold.