Talisman Mining has intersected multiple sulphide zones in initial diamond and reverse circulation drilling at the Durnings prospect within its wholly-owned Lachlan copper-gold project in central New South Wales.
Zones of massive sulphide galena-sphalerite-chalcopyrite (lead-zinc-copper) mineralisation were recorded at two main areas, with anomalous sulphur, zinc, lead and copper readings obtained from portable X-ray fluorescence field analysis.
Collectively, the results show that Durnings is emerging as a significant greenfields base and precious metal discovery.
Zone results
The prospect’s Upper Zone returned 26.8 metres of massive, semi-massive, matrix and laminated galena-sphalerite and minor chalcopyrite from 201.3m downhole, including 3.5m semi-massive from 202m and 1.6m massive from 224.5m, along with a 1m zone of massive galena and sphalerite.
The Deep Zone returned 25.1m of massive, semi-massive, matrix and blebby galena-sphalerite and chalcopyrite from 374m downhole in an extensively-altered quartz breccia section, including 10m of quartz sulphide breccia veining with bands of massive galena, sphalerite and chalcopyrite and a 9.1m complex zone of quartz sulphide breccia veining with bands of massive galena, sphalerite and lesser chalcopyrite from 390m.
This zone is believed to be coincident with a broad chargeability model located approximately 350m below surface identified from re-processed pole-dipole induced polarisation survey data over the Durnings and Boona prospects.
‘Impressive’ intersections
Managing director Andrew Munckton said drilling had hit some “impressive” visual mineralised intersections.
“It has confirmed that this is a potentially very significant base metal discovery and a potential game-changer for Talisman,” he said.
“Our geology team is looking forward to integrating the information from this campaign with the full assay dataset from Durnings to provide a more accurate picture of the orientation and style of lead-zinc-silver-copper-gold sulphide mineralisation and to fully test this extensive structural corridor and emerging mineralised system.”
Durnings geology
The Durnings prospect is characterised by felsic volcanic rocks of the Mineral Hill Volcanic sequence (MHV) that has been mapped within Talisman’s tenure south of Mineral Hill.
The Boona, Kaolin Shaft and Hilltop prospects also lie in the central part of the sequence.
The MHV package extends to Gunawyle in the north and Brooklyn in the south across a distance of 15 kilometres and is underlain by the Ordovician-age Girilambone Formation.
A series of shear zones and faults straddle the sequence oriented from north-west to south-east that are interpreted as tapping buried Devonian age granite intrusions.
They are believed to be the source of heat, fluids and metals for the mineralisation at Mineral Hill and Durnings.
