Antipa Minerals has announced further positive high-grade gold results from its Extended Phase 1 Minyari Dome Exploration Programme (Antipa 100%) North Telfer Project, 40km from Newcrest’s world-class Telfer gold-copper-silver mine in the Paterson Province of Western Australia.

Managing Director Roger Mason said, “These latest high-grade gold results represent the latest batch of assayed results from the extended Phase 1 drilling campaign. The results further extend the strike length of the Minyari gold deposit and enhance the development potential of the Minyari Dome. Our Phase 2 Minyari Dome exploration programme has already commenced with surface sampling programmes, mapping and a state-of-the-art aerial electromagnetic survey, which are all designed to generate a new suite of targets, with planning for the drilling component of Phase 2 well advanced.”

To date, assays have been received for 59 drill holes (including one abandoned drill hole), representing approximately 78% of the expanded 2017 Phase 1 Programme. The Minyari Dome 2017 Phase 1 drill results received to date are detailed.

Minyari Dome – Overview The Minyari Dome, which includes the Minyari and WACA gold-copper±cobalt deposits, is located close to infrastructure just 40km north of Newcrest’s world-class Telfer gold-copper-silver mine and provides the Company with an immediate exploration and shortterm development opportunity.

Minyari Deposit – Key Metrics:

  • High-grade gold with copper and cobalt;
  • Mineralisation commences 0 to 10 metres from the surface and extends down for more than 580 vertical metres;
  • +400m strike length; 
  • Up to 60m in width; and
  • Remains open down dip and potentially along strike.

WACA Deposit – Key Metrics:

  • Located only 700m southwest of the Minyari deposit;
  • High-grade gold with copper (and minor cobalt);
  • Mineralisation commences 0 to 20 metres from the surface and extends down for more than 340 vertical metres;
  • +650m strike length;
  • Two main lodes occur within a corridor up to 50m in width; and
  • Remains open down dip and potentially along strike, including high-grade gold shoots.

Phase 1 Programme – Interim Results

Minyari Deposit:

  • Results have been received for 24 (total 3,806m) of a total of 25 (total 4,086m) Minyari deposit RC drill holes testing for strike extensions and high-grade shoot distribution and continuity.
  • These recent drill holes have provided significant high-grade gold-copper-cobalt intersections from surface, further highlighting the open pit potential of the Minyari deposit.
  • Key Minyari deposit high-grade mineralisation distribution and continuity directions have been identified which will assist in refining future drill targeting and informing upcoming Mineral Resource estimations.

WACA Deposit:

  • No further results have been received for RC drill holes testing various WACA deposit targets. Results for the first 34 (total 6,671m) of a total of 45 (total 9,854m) WACA deposit RC drill holes were reported on the 21 June and 25 July.

Minyari Deposit – Cobalt Mineralisation:

  • The Minyari deposit gold mineralisation has significant associated cobalt and copper mineralisation.
  • A selection of significant cobalt intersections include:

         – 16.0m at 0.16% Co, 2.28g/t Au and 0.23% Cu from 48.0m down hole (17MYC0120);

         – 13.0m at 0.15% Co, 2.01g/t Au and 0.19% Cu from 84.0m down hole (17MYC0112);

         – 10.0m at 0.21% Co, 1.59g/t Au and 0.24% Cu from 112.0m down hole (17MYC0114);

         – 11.0m at 0.16% Co, 1.74g/t Au and 0.48% Cu from 53.0m down hole (17MYC0113);

         – 18.0m at 0.11% Co, 2.47g/t Au and 0.19% Cu from 40.0m down hole (17MYC0118); and

         – 13.0m at 0.10% Co, 1.36g/t Au and 0.14% Cu from 39.0m down hole (17MYC0116). 

  • Cobalt mineralisation is broadly coincident with the gold and copper mineralisation and has the potential to represent a base metal by-product credit in a gold production scenario.
  • Cobalt occurs primarily as the cobaltite group of minerals which, based on the Company’s recent preliminary metallurgical test-work, including QEMSCAN analysis, was recovered at significant concentrate levels via both conventional density and flotation metallurgical processes which were targeting gold recovery.
  • Antipa is continuing its assessment of recovering the cobalt ± copper in a marketable form, with the production of a saleable base metal by-product concentrate clearly warranting further investigation.

Phase 2 Programme

Planning for Phase 2 of the 2017 Minyari Dome Exploration Programme is well advanced, with several components of Phase 2 already commenced and drilling expected to commence later this quarter. The extended Phase 1 programme encompassed approximately 15,500m of RC drilling which was completed on 23 July. The overall objective of the 2017 drilling programme is to enable the Company to establish its maiden Minyari and WACA deposit JORC Mineral Resources as part of a Scoping Study to examine the economic potential of the Minyari Dome.

Phase 2 will also incorporate the testing of a number of existing exploration targets and generation of new targets across the wider Minyari Dome, including:

  • A Minyari Dome heliborne aerial electromagnetic (AEM) survey, using New Resolution Geophysics’ (NRG) Xcite and their new generation Xcite helicopter-borne timedomain electromagnetic (HTDEM) system, which commenced on 1 August. The AEM survey covers approximately 281 line-km and an area of 73km2 and aims to identify a new generation of EM conductivity targets, related to semi-massive to massive sulphide high-grade gold and/or copper mineralisation, for evaluation during the Phase 2 drilling programme.
  • A systematic surface geochemical sampling programme which has already commenced (i.e. rock-chip and soil). Surface geochemical surveys have been completed over two areas approximately 10km north of the Minyari deposit, ‘Waldorf’ and ‘Statler’, with assay results pending.
  • Jude’s prospect area follow-up drilling based on evaluation of IP, magnetic and pending downhole logging data.
  • Interpretation of the results of the 33 line-kilometre 2016 Minyari Dome Induced Polarisation (IP) survey, which identified a number of other targets, some of which will be drill tested.

Timing

The Phase 1 Extended drill programme was completed on 23 July. As usual, samples will be batched and dispatched for assay on a periodic basis and announcements will be made periodically as assays are received.