R3D Resources Limited (ASX: R3D) has welcomed the receipt of an estimated an increase in Tartana copper resources in Queensland.
The new increase is based on the Northern Oxide and Tartana in pit drilling programmes conducted in the September – November period last year.
“We now have a sizeable copper resource on the Tartana mining leases which is building confidence in the future development of this large mineralised system,” R3D Managing Director, Stephen Bartrop, said.
“Next steps will involve diamond drilling to secure samples for further ore sorting and metallurgical flotation test work as part of scoping studies. We are also confident that the copper mineralization will continue to significant depths based on our recent drilling and the disposition of other orebodies in the region.
“We are buoyed by continued improvements in the Copper price and ongoing structural increase in demand. This larger copper resource may also support an increase in the expected life of our Tartana Copper Sulphate plant once in production in the coming months.
“A separate maiden zinc resource for the Queen Grade zinc project, also within the Tartana mining leases is being prepared for announcement in the next few days.”
The company reported a ‘shallow’ resource on the 21 September 2022 and also provided an update on the drilling on the 4 January 2023 announcing drilling had intersected 77m at 0.62% Cu inter alia.
The current resource increase includes copper mineralization in the base of the open pit and in the Northern oxide zone where primary, transitional and oxide mineralization continues north from the open pit but appears displaced to the west by a fault – a structure which may be important in the mineralization event.
The mineralization has been estimated to approximately 130m depth and remains open at depth and in several other directions. In 2021 the company drilled RDD002 which was a deep hole testing an easterly IP target but also ‘clipped’ copper the mineralization near the edge of the mineralization below the open pit before the hole deviated down bedding and was terminated.
However, it intersected 2.0m @1.66% Cu, 32.6g/t Ag and 106ppm Bi prior to this deviation and which was approximately 450m below surface.
In terms of metallurgical testwork, historical copper flotation testwork is reported to have yielded high recoveries and which would be in line with the characteristics of the mineralisation. However, the company will conduct its own flotation testwork to verify copper recoveries well as continue ore sorting testwork.
For further information please visit: https://r3dresources.com.au/
