Diversified explorer Golden Deeps (ASX: GED) will commence a diamond drilling program at its Nosib Springs prospect within the Nosib Block copper-silver-lead-vanadium project in Namibia to extend a known shallow zone of mineralisation.
The program will also test the down-plunge extensions of the thick, strata-bound, copper-silver zone at the nearby Khusib Springs shoot, which produced approximately 300,000 tonnes at 10% copper and 584 grams per tonne silver to only 300 metres depth from the 1990s to its closure in 2003.
Nosib Springs and Khusib Springs are located approximately 15 kilometres apart, in the world-class Otavi Mountain Land copper district which includes historic developments such as the Tsumeb mine, 40km to the northwest of Nosib, which produced 30 million tonnes of ore grading 4.3% copper, 10% lead and 3.5% zinc between 1905 and 1996.
The district’s geology is believed to be equivalent to the Kalahari copper belt which extends from south-central Namibia into Botswana, where developments include Sandfire Resources’ (ASX: SFR) Motheo copper-silver project with a resource of 63Mt at 0.97% copper and 14g/t silver.
Diamond program
The new drilling program at Nosib Springs will include up to eight diamond holes for a total 1000m.
Three initial holes will test a copper-lead-vanadium zone within the defined shoot for definition and metallurgical purposes, as well as along strike where the zone is open to the east.
Previous drilling returned 24m at 1.33% copper, 4.77% lead, 1.37% vanadium pentoxide and 3.67g/t silver from 3m including 6m at 3.67% copper, 14.9% lead, 4.40% vanadium pentoxide and 12.16g/t silver from 6m.
Other results have been 29m at 1.54% copper, 4.49% lead, 1.19% vanadium pentoxide and 6.97g/t silver from 2m including 9m at 3.66% copper, 11.91% lead, 3.62% vanadium pentoxide and 7.70g/t silver from 3m.
An additional five holes will test extensions of the zone which previously produced true-width intersections of copper-silver mineralisation over 45m thick across the entire breadth of the arenite/conglomerate host unit.
Past drilling at this area has returned 45m at 0.64% copper and 4.19g/t silver from 38m including 5m at 2.58% copper and 18.75g/t silver from 61m, including 3m at 1.18% copper, 7.03g/t silver from 74m; and 44m at 0.74% copper, 0.17% lead and 4.37g/t silver from 46m including 4m at 2.28% copper, 1.10% lead and 6.17g/t silver from 51m, including 4m at 1.67% copper and 17.0g/t silver from 68m.
Nosib Block history
Nosib Block was a high-grade copper-vanadium mine, 16km west of Khusib Springs and 20km along strike from Golden Deeps’ Abenab vanadium project.
Copper mineralisation was discovered in 1915 with mine access development work completed between 1917 to 1920.
The historic No 2 shaft was developed on three levels to a depth of 120m but not mined.
Golden Deeps’ geologists have accessed the three levels of the mine and taken underground channel samples from the walls of the drives.
Best results included 6m at 9.3% copper, 4.72% lead and 7.92g/t silver; and 6m at 1.51% copper, 10.59% lead, 7.15g/t silver and 1.12% vanadium pentoxide.
Mineralisation has been reported to show good continuity and remains in-situ because the areas between the development drives have not been mined.
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