Golden Deeps has unveiled the potential for a major copper-zinc porphyry discovery at its Havilah project in the world-class Lachlan Fold Belt in New South Wales, after revealing promising assay results from a maiden diamond drilling program.

The company says the results from two of the drillholes revealed substantial copper and zinc sulphide intersections, along with notable silver and gold mineralisation. One of them – the standout third drillhole that tested the south-west boundary of the extensive 1.5km Hazelbrook copper anomaly – intersected an 84m zone of sulphide mineralisation.

Key highlights include a 30m hit going at 0.3 per cent copper equivalent, containing 0.16 per cent copper, 0.41 per cent zinc and 1 gram per tonne silver. Within the interval, further assays picked up a 6m section grading 0.55 per cent copper equivalent and an even higher-grade slice of 1m returning 1.7 per cent with strong levels of copper, zinc and silver.

Additionally, the first hole, which was drilled 1km away into Hazelbrook North, uncovered 15m at 0.2 per cent copper equivalent including 0.14 per cent copper, 0.07 per cent zinc and 2.1g/t silver from 11m depth and also included significant gold mineralisation highlighted by an 8m section at 0.21g/t gold.

‘The assay results at Havilah have confirmed the discovery of extensive copper-zinc-bearing sulphide mineralisation.’

Golden Deeps chief executive officer Jon Dugdale

Results for the fourth hole, drilled 200m north-east of hole three, are pending after it intersected 92m of mineralisation. At the time, portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) readings lit up with to 3.6 per cent copper and 346g/t silver, making it the second-biggest hit recorded to date.

Management says the high levels of zinc associated with the copper at the site indicate the mineralisation is potentially on the periphery of a much bigger copper-gold mineralised porphyry-sulphide system.

The geological characteristics suggest close similarities to major deposits in the Lachlan Fold Belt such as United States-based Newmont Mining’s Cadia-Ridgeway mine that hosts a massive 20 million ounces of gold and 1.75 million tonnes of copper.

Golden Deeps chief executive officer Jon Dugdale said: “The assay results for diamond drillholes HVD001 and HVD003 at the Hazelbrook prospect at Havilah have confirmed the discovery of extensive copper-zinc-bearing sulphide mineralisation, as well as zones of silver and gold mineralisation. Subject to further results from drilling and soil sampling programs, we are planning to launch a new drilling program to test this exciting discovery of widespread, copper-zinc, silver and gold-bearing sulphide mineralisation.”