The final bunch of airborne electromagnetic data from the Copper Flats project survey has been received by Mamba Exploration and they show 53 conductors having been detected.
Field inspection of 33 of the conductors turned up no exploration for their detection at surface which, the company says, suggests there is a bedrock source.
Moreover, none of the conductors correspond with any geochemical response.
Consultants have been engaged to model the EM data related to the conductors at Mamba’s copper and silver project, which has been accorded high priority by the company.
Numerous reports of outcropping copper
Copper Flats has been explored since the 1970s and was drilled in the mid-2000s.
Over the past 50 years, there have been numerous reports of visible copper mineralisation in outcrop
Four areas are now being targeted by Mamba for copper and silver targets.
Heavy rains limited follow-up field work
The conductors reported include 10 co-incident mid- and late time conductors, 17 late time conductors, 20 mid-time conductors and 16 early time conductors.
Heavy rain early this month limited field follow-up efforts, with only 33 of the highest priority conductors being checked.
“None of the conductors correspond with any surface geochemical anomalies from the large soil sampling survey which was completed in the 2022 field season,” the company notes.
“There was no surface explanation for the anomalies, which suggests that the EM response is from a bedrock source.”
Application lodged for work in reserve
The conductors are located within the Ord River Regeneration Reserve which means that the West Australian government’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions will need to grant approval for ground-disturbing work.
The reserve was developed between 1960 and 1998 to revegetate the Ord River catchment.
Mamba says that, in the meantime, it will continue modelling and analysing the data until approval for drilling is received.
Copper Flats covers 1,025 sq km and is located 125km northeast of Halls Creek.
Between 2006 and 2011, the former Ord River Resources drilled at Copper Flats, reporting several intersections including 8m at 1.65% copper and 7m at 1.53% (both from surface) along with 1m at 3.1% (2m down hole) and 2m at 2.5% copper.
