ASX-listed Javelin Minerals has delivered more high-grade copper and wide gold intersections from 13 RC holes at its exciting Coogee gold-copper project 55 kilometres southeast of Kalgoorlie. The best results from 4 metre composite samples include 8m with 0.43 grams per tonne gold and 1.98 per cent copper including 4m with 3.69 per cent copper, 48m with 0.81 g/t gold with 8m at 2.18 g/t gold and 0.21 per cent copper and 8m grading 1.38 g/t gold.
Drilling tested strike and depth extensions in three parallel mineralised trends immediately north of the old Coogee open pit where mined grades averaged an impressive 4.7 g/t gold. All zones at Coogee are open at depth and along strike.
The 8m copper hit at 1.98 per cent extends the high-grade copper shoot on the Eastern trend by a further 40m from previous results including 6m at 0.76 g/t gold and 2.54 per cent copper. The copper mineralisation consisted of semi-massive chalcopyrite at the contact of sheared mafic and carbonate rock units.
The Eastern trend has previously turned up thick intersections including 17m at 1.98 g/t gold and 1 per cent copper and 12m going 2.37 g/t gold and 0.45 per cent copper.
On the main trend, drilling proved the down dip extension of broad gold-copper mineralisation below previous work. The intersection of 48m with 0.81 g/t gold including 8m at 2.18 g/t gold and 0.21 per cent copper was reported by the company as one of the widest north of the old Coogee open pit. The mineralisation appears to be getting thicker in deeper drill intersections.
Javelin speculated the wide intersections relate to a structural change in the rock units and shear zone from nearly vertical to moderately west dipping. Additionally, the company stated the area may be a feeder zone to a much larger copper-gold mineralised system. More drilling is proposed to test this hypothesis and the significance of any mineralised feeder zone.
The main trend also hosts high-grade gold shoots that have returned drill hits of 4m at 9.34 g/t gold and 5m at 5.11 g/t gold.
At the Coogee project, Javelin has a JORC resource of 96,000 tonnes grading 3.4 g/t gold for 10,600 ounces. The project sits on a valid mining licence with no impediments.
To date Javelin has undertaken four RC drilling campaigns totalling an exhausting 135 holes for 19,136m. The company says drilling has outlined mineralisation that transitions from gold to copper‐gold in the north within a broader copper‐gold system at Coogee with a current strike length of over 1km.
One metre interval samples have been sent to the labs with the results to guide the next phase of exploration north of the Coogee pit. Diamond drilling is planned to better understand the structural controls on high-grade gold-copper shoots and RC drilling will test extensional targets.
At Coogee West Javelin has an exploration lease covering a copper-gold target centred around a magnetic anomaly in a similar manner to Coogee. Previous drilling by Ramelius yielded up to 1.38 g/t gold in aircore drilling and 1.8 g/t gold and 0.17 per cent copper in diamond core.
The rocks appear similar at Coogee and the company is planning aircore drilling to better understand the 3km long mineralised trend in Lake Lefroy. Work with a “lake ready” rig is planned to commence in late February 2022.
Javelin’s Coogee and Coogee West projects are located immediately west of the hungry 1.2 million tonnes per annum Randalls Mill owned by Silver Lake Resources. The projects are within 15km of the recent Burns discovery by Lefroy Exploration to the southwest and 20-30km northeast of the 15-million-ounce St Ives gold mining complex.
With drilling indicating a growing copper-gold resource at Coogee and the mineralisation open at depth and along strike, the company is wasting no time planning the next drilling to test for feeder zones and extensions to ore zones.
At Coogee West Javelin is about to commence drilling a 3km long gold trend and if the results start to match the excitement the pulses could well and truly start to quicken.
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