Discovery Metals Limited has reported assay results from 34 Reverse Circulation (RC) drill holes at the Zeta NE deposit. Zeta NE is located within the company’s 100% owned prospecting licences in the Kalahari Copper belt in north-west Botswana and is located approximately 10 km east of the Boseto concentrator.
“The results obtained from Zeta NE are very positive and confirm the potential for Zeta NE to become Boseto’s next open pit mine,” Discovery Metals’ CEO, Bob Fulker, said.
“In addition,the higher grade zone with thicker mineralisation and a strike length of approximately 1.4 km, suggests that Zeta NE also has the potential for development of an underground mine. In the coming months, we will be working towards scheduling production from Zeta NE and confirming the potential for a future underground mine.”
The Zeta NE deposit is within the Boseto Zone and approximately seven kilometres north-east of and directly along strike from the Zeta Deposit, which is currently being mined.
The assay results reported are from the 34 holes drilled as part of a 51 hole program designed to test the vertical depth to the top of the sulphide zone at Zeta NE. They were drilled on nine sections spaced 400m apart in the south-western sector of the deposit over a strike length of 1,600 m and three sections also spaced 400 m apart in the north-east sector, covering a strike length of one kilometre.
Previous drilling has shown that the vertical depth to the top of the sulphide zone may be variable across Zeta NE. This program was designed to improve confidence in the depth to the base of oxide and top of sulphide zone boundaries.
From logging and assay data, vertical depth to the base of the oxide zone in the south-western sector varies between 16 m and 51 m, averaging 29 m. The depth to the top of the sulphide zone varies from between 34 m to 84m, averaging 54 m. Average thickness of the transition zone is approximately 25 m. In the north-eastern sector, the depth to the base of the oxide zone varies between 15 m and 36 m, averaging 28 m, with the depth to the top of the sulphide zone varying between 22 m and 44 m, averaging 38 m.
Assay results confirm the conclusions of previous drilling (Table 1). They extend the higher grade and thicker zone 400 m to the south-west, to a strike length of 1,400 m, with GDRC3344 returning 13 m @ 1.8%Cu & 32 g/t Ag, including 6 m @ 3.3% Cu & 43 g/t Ag.
Drilling south-west of the higher grade zone returns drilled intersections of greater than 10 m thickness but at intercepts of less than 1% Cu, interspersed with thinner (minimum drilled intercept of 3 m in GDRC3355) mineralisation. For example, GDRC3358 returned an intercept of 16 m @ 0.8% Cu & 3 g/t Ag.
The final section to the south-west returned 10 m @ 1.0% Cu & 19 g/t Ag in GDRC3366. South-west of this section, the mineralisation is thin and low grade, closing off the deposit in that direction.
North-east of the higher grade zone, the mineralisation tails off in grade and thickness over 500 m, giving the deposit a strike length of about 3.5 km.
In Q3/FY14, an in-fill drill program is planned to begin, aiming to allow an estimation of an Indicated Mineral Resource for Zeta NE. The updated Mineral Resource estimate is expected to be complete in late Q4/FY14.
An application to enlarge the Boseto Mining Lease is being prepared, and is expected to be submitted to the Department of Mines in Q4/FY14.