Alderan Resources Ltd (ASX:AL8) has confirmed high-grade copper-zinc mineralisation at the Accrington prospect within its Frisco Project in Utah, USA.
The initial drilling results, together with channel sampling results, indicate the potential for the project to host high-grade mineralisation.
The results have also extended mineralisation to the east of historical drilling, which included: 36.58 metres at 1.23% copper and 0.6% zinc; and 41.4 metres at 0.94% copper and 0.39% zinc.
READ: Alderan Resources mobilises second drill rig at Accrington prospect
Assay results from Alderan’s drilling include: 102 metres at 0.58% copper, 0.6% zinc and 9 g/t silver from 194 metres; and 16 metres at 0.62% copper from 84 metres.
Mineralisation was also intersected to the west of the first hole, with one drill hitting 10 metres at 0.55% copper from 2 metres before entering intrusive rocks and another intersecting minor copper mineralisation.
Sampling across an 86-metre outcrop of mineralised and partially oxidised skarn returned: 28 metres at 0.33% copper, 0.29% zinc, 15 g/t silver and 0.19 g/t gold; 10 metres at 0.39% copper, 0.27% zinc and 12 g/t silver; 16 metres at 0.44% copper, 16 g/t silver and 0.12 g/t gold; and 12 metres at 0.33% copper and 15 g/t silver.
Potential to define a large deposit
Alderan chief executive officer Christopher Wanless said the company knows from historical mining that Accrington can host high-grade mineralisation.
He said: “The drill results are important in that they demonstrate potential to define a large deposit, amenable to modern low-cost bulk mining across the large Accrington skarn.
“We have only just started to uncover the potential across the Accrington skarn which measures up to 4 by 2 kilometres in areal extent.
“Other skarn systems in the USA at Battle Mountain (Phoenix Mine) and Car Fork/Bingham also demonstrate that significant and high-grade deposits can sit outside the skarn.
“For example, we know that at the Horn Mine, situated to the East of Accrington, high-grade lead-zinc-silver sulphide bodies occurred as replacements within limestone and within a major fault zone.”
Widespread historical mining in the area
Accrington is a large mineralised skarn in which the mineralisation is also expected to extend outside the skarn into adjoining sediments.
Historical mining activity as taken place throughout the skarn, focused on high-grade structurally-controlled lead-zinc-copper-silver-gold deposits.
Alderan is focused on the thick mineral-bearing garnet skarns which outcrop at Accrington East and at the Imperial Mine, a distance of over 1 kilometre.
These exposed mineralised units are expected to continue at depth to the south towards the historical Double Barrel and Washington mines.