Ord River Resources (ASX: ORD) has reported that ORD’s Exploration Manager Robert Meade has returned from his 2 week exploration trip to Suplejack in the Northern Territory, and Copper Flats in Western Australia.
Reconnaissance evaluation of 5 previously reported gold anomalous prospects at the Suplejack Project, and exploration reconnaissance of geological mapping area 3, along with 2 non‐descript exploration areas at the Copper Flats Project, was undertaken between August 1 to 15, 2010.
At Suplejack exploration throughout the gold project has confirmed ORD’s strong belief and commitment to gold exploration throughout the tenement.
Gold prospectivity in areas extending from PhD Prospect to PhD North Prospect (approximately 7km), and in the Thomas Prospect, Tregony Prospect, and Edwina Prospect region (approximately 8 square kilometres) is considered very high with "significant brecciated lithologies and faulted / sheared lithologies present in outcrop."
ORD is now busy planning the next step in the exploration program for Copper Flats and the company remains focused on securing a farm‐in partner.
Frank Zhu, chief finacial officer, said ORD is committed to increasing its exploration work in Suplejack and hold a strong belief that there is a much bigger gold resource potential than what is currently certified under JORC.
The company will fast track its mapping and drilling program to carry out the necessary field work in 2010 with an aim to lift the resource in the future.
At Copper Flats geological mapping area 3 was considered the most prospective area within the Copper Flats Project for the discovery of significant copper‐silver mineralization.
A 7 day helicopter supported program was completed. The company said observed copper mineralization is seen "in the very upper portion of the Antrim Plateau Volcanics and lower portion of the Blackfella Rockhole Member."
No mineralization was observed in the overlying Headley Limestone. Malachite is laterally limited to areas smaller than 10m by 10m and rarely has a true thickness exceeding 1m.
Previously reported high‐grade copper analytical results are believed attributable to highgrading of samples, rather than representative vertical or horizontal channel sampling results.
No exposures observed throughout Mapping Area 3 were considered representative of a significant mineral system. However, ORD said the significance of these occurrences should not be ignored, as "they may represent proximal or distal accumulations adjacent to ORD’s preferred target of sulphide copper mineralization."
An example of this was identified from interpretation of Landsat 7 data, and was the subject for ground checking. These structures were interpreted to trend along the western boundary of Mapping Area 3, and continue trending right across the Copper Flats Project Tenure.
ORD said "significant NW trending structures were seen to trend through all lithological units and persist for in excess of 2 kilometres."
The significance of these faulted structures will now be evaluated relative to additional datasets, and the resultant findings will form the basis for future mineral exploration activities.
Mineral exploration activities within the Copper Flats Project are designed to target coppersilver mineralization akin to the Michigan Model, U.S.A.
ORD intends to undertake drilling of prioritized targets resulting from geological mapping and ground geophysical survey activities and plans to commence the drilling program in 2010 prior to the onset of the wet season.