Emmerson Resources Ltd (ASX:ERM) is set to begin a 2,000-metre diamond drilling program at its Kiola project next month to test targets in the 15-square-kilometre Kiola Geochemical Zone within the highly ranked Molong Belt in New South Wales.
This belt in the state's Central West is highly prospective for gold and copper and hosts Alkane Resources Ltd (ASX:ALK) recent Boda discovery as well as Newcrest Mining Limited’s (ASX:NCM) (OTCMKTS:NCMGY) world-class Cadia-Ridgeway operations.
Emmerson has used new cutting-edge techniques combined with traditional exploration to identify several porphyry and related high-level vein style gold-copper targets at relatively shallow depths.
There has been no previous deep drilling despite positive signs of gold-copper mineralisation at the surface.
“Exciting drill targets”
Managing director Rob Bills said: “Systematic exploration at Kiola has defined a number of very exciting drill targets that are based on both traditional exploration methods of geology, geophysics and geochemistry plus the application of new, cutting edge techniques developed by the University of Tasmania’s ARC Linkage Project.”
He said the Kiola Project was pegged by Emmerson in 2018 from the application of big data analytics, aimed at utilising multiple levels of independent data to pinpoint the next big discovery in the highly prospective Macquarie Arc of NSW.
“Target area lacks deep drilling”
“Stage 1 drilling at Kiola is within the Kiola Geochemical Zone (KGZ) which consists of about 15 kilometres of very elevated gold and copper geochemistry, old historic copper mines, skarns that contain gold, copper and zinc.
“The target area lacks deep drilling to test for the causative source of the gold and copper.”
Highly-ranked project
Emmerson’s Kiola project is one of the highest-ranked, early-stage gold-copper projects in the portfolio and encompasses favourable Ordovician age rocks that display anomalously high gold and copper geochemistry plus historic workings.
Recent work has confirmed that the KGZ contains many of the attributes of world-class porphyry gold-copper mineralisation and is divided into a northern area centred on the Nasdaq skarn, and a southern area around South Pole, Kiola and Right Hand Creek mine.