Volume 9 Edition 2 2012 - The ASIA Miner

Exploration Spotlight
Drilling confirms new Nam San deposit
DRILLING results have confirmed the discovery of the Nam San copper-gold
deposit adjacent to the Phu Kham open pit at PanAust’s Phu
The Phu Kham district has become an important target for potential new discoveries
by PanAust. The target area extends over a 7km corridor to the north of Phu Kham.
Kham Copper-Gold Project. Lateral continuity of mineralization has
been confirmed over at least 200 metres and the zone remains open
to the east, northwest and at depth.
The discovery hole at Nam San intersected 78 metres from 336 metres
@ 1.51% copper and 0.31 grams/tonne gold while subsequent
drilling has intersected 70 metres from 456 metres @ 1.09% copper
and 0.88 grams/tonne gold in one hole; and 28 metres from 158 metres
@ 0.86% copper and 0.18 grams/tonne gold, and 22 metres from
446 metres @ 0.71% copper and 0.08 grams/tonne gold in another.
The Nam San deposit is interpreted to be a fault‐displaced extension
to the Phu Kham deposit and is hidden beneath a sequence of
limestone and granite. The zone is about 200 metres north of the Phu
Kham deposit within a sequence of volcanic rocks similar to those
which host that deposit.
PanAust intends to accelerate drilling at Nam San over the next six
months with the objective of defining an inferred mineral resource in
the second half of 2012. In addition to this initiative, conceptual studies
have commenced to investigate possible underground access,
mining methods and mining rates.
PanAust’s managing director Gary Stafford says, “Although it’s early
days, these results confirm the discovery of a relatively high‐grade deposit
of significant thickness. If future drilling and studies confirm the
economic attractiveness of Nam San, likely access will be by decline
and/or shaft outside the current Phu Kham open‐pit design limits.
“Conceptually, we could foresee a source of high‐grade ore from
an underground mine development either partly displacing lower
grade ore from the Phu Kham open‐pit or providing feed to an expanded
or new processing facility at or near Phu Kham. To that extent,
we are also looking forward to the results of our drilling
campaign at the nearby LCT deposit.”
Sampling and drilling confirm Maangob potential
RESULTS from recent drilling and underground adit sampling at the
Maangob target of Mining Group’s Comval Copper-Gold Project confirm
the potential to host an economic deposit. The ASX-listed company
has completed the purchase of an 80% interest in Comval from
Canada’s Cadan Resources.
Mining Group is advancing the exploration and evaluation of Comval
by undertaking full data compilation and a review with a view to calculating
a maiden JORC-compliant estimate for the Tagpura and Maangob
targets, and is also undertaking resource definition and extensional drilling
at Tagpura and extensional/exploration drilling at Maangob, Kalamatan
and newly identified targets. It is also undertaking a high level
scoping study to assess the economic viability of these projects.
Sampling and drilling results from the Maangob skarn target include
86 metres @ 1.01% copper and 0.20 grams/tonne gold in an adit
channel sample, and 170 metres @ 0.46% copper and 0.06
grams/tonne gold including 34 metres @ 1.20% copper and 0.20
grams/tonne gold in a drill hole.
Mining Group’s managing director Andrew Maurice says, “The assay
results are significant as they confirm the potential of Maangob to host
an economic copper/gold deposit. Mining Group is delivering on its
strategy to explore and develop the Comval copper/gold project.
“The assay results from recent drilling activity also provide further information
to assist with extensional and infill drill programs scheduled
for later in 2012. These programs are aimed at advancing the exploration
and development of the Comval copper/gold project.”
Maangob skarn is about 1000 metres northwest of the old Tagpura
open pit. Cadan drilled 23 RC drill holes and 2 diamond drill holes at
Maangob and installed more than 800 metres of underground exploration
adits which were sampled in detail late in 2011.
Cadan collected 247 two metre continuous horizontal wall channel
samples from within the adits. These samples were submitted to Intertek-Mcphar
Laboratories in Manila for assay. The sampling has
identified a zone of copper mineralization about 100 metres wide by
250 metres long based on a 0.25% copper cut-off. This mineralization
is open along strike to the north and south and down dip.
Late in 2011 Cadan drilled two diamond drill holes to test north and
south along strike of mineralization previously identified from RC drilling
carried out in proximity to the adit tunnel system. Two holes were
drilled with NQ core and half core was submitted to Intertek-McPhar
as two metre down hole samples.
72 | ASIA Miner | March/April 2012