Australia’s emerging zero carbon copper and gold developer, QMines, reports that three large anomalous copper gossans near its Mt Chalmers flagship project in Queensland have been identified using electromagnetic surveys.

Analysis of the outcropping gossans returned readings of up to 0.68% copper.

The large gossan outcrop extends over 700m, with an adjacent zinc soil anomaly measuring 400m by 250m.

30 holes planned for new discovery

QMines says the new discovery remains undrilled.

The company has planned a 30-hole drill program and is ready to begin work.

The initial findings from the regional airborne geophysical survey near the Mt Chalmers copper and gold project, which is located 17km northeast of Rockhampton, investigated five potential targets.

Follow-up field reconnaissance on top of three of the targets has returned what the company says are “very encouraging” signs of mineralisation.

The gossan outcrops comprise iron oxides with visible copper.

More anomalies to review

Managing director Andrew Sparke said the Artillery Road prospect, on which the anomalies were identified, has similarities with the Mt Chalmers copper and gold project.

The work also proved the success of the electromagnetic survey.

“With 34 anomalies to review, we are excited by the potential to make further discoveries,” he added.

QMines said that inversion modelling of the electromagnetic data by Italy’s Emergo consultancy has provided a data processing technique which will generate additional targets to be followed up.

Ongoing reconnaissance work is now under way.

Drilling will begin immediately after access and compensation agreements have been signed by the landowners concerned.

Last month QMines reported it had extended the size of Mt Chalmers.

Base metal sulphides had been intersected in all the new drill holes southwest of the main mineralised body.

The ongoing drill program has intersected this semi-massive sulphide mineralisation between Mt Chalmers and the Woods Shaft deposits owned by the company.