Indonesian-focussed Robust Resources has revealed that a 3D IP-Resistivity survey over the flagship Lakuwahi target, as well as new drilling results, have significantly extended the discovery target zones and therefore the gold and base metal resource potential on Romang Island.

The IP-Resistivity geophysical survey commenced on 24 March 2010, and field data collection is 50% complete, with 20% of information processed and modelled.

The geophysics and drilling has confirmed a well-defined geophysical (resistivity) anomaly area that is 20-times larger than current Batu Mas drilled prospect and remains open.  Importantly, there appears to be continuity of precious and base metal mineralisation structure confirmed between main drilled prospects of Batu Mas and Batu Hitam (over 2 kilometre strike length).

Recent drilling at Batu Mas and Batu Hitam continue the strong track record of results with thick intersections of precious metals and base metals on both prospects. In total, results for fourteen holes have been received, eleven of which intersected mineralisation of potential economic significance.

Contours of magnetic susceptibility from 3D modelling showing the large 13 km 2 alteration system within the Lakuwahi Caldera. Billiton drilling (in black) and Robust drilling (in red) has tested less than 0.2% of this system.

Managing director Gary Lewis said, “In this latest stage of our exploration program, Robust has done the reverse of most companies in that we have drilled prior to embarking on the geophysical studies which puts us in the now fortunate position of being able to calibrate the geophysics with drilling data.”

“Based on the excellent correlation of geophysical anomalism with the drilling data, the results have not only extended the Batu Mas target zone by around 20-times its current size, but also demonstrated that the geophysical anomaly clearly links the Batu Mas and Batu Hitam prospects, he said.”

“Whilst the Company had long suspected that this was the case, these latest results provide us with more confidence to move towards defining a maiden JORC resource from these two prospects alone. In addition, the IP has also identified a number of new drill targets, in particular those hidden under limestone cover, which we will shortly begin to target with our four owner-operated rigs.”

Batu Mas

Results for nine diamond drill holes have been recently received, with seven of the holes with coincident geophysical anomalism intersecting precious and / or base metals of potential economic significance. The very close fit between the drilling results at Batu Mas and the resistivity anomalism is especially significant, both in relation to validating the geophysical methodology and for demonstrating the extent of the potential resource at Batu Mas. The positive drilling results (both gold/silver and base metals) are all contained within the geophysically defined 50 Ohm-m contour, which concurs closely with the grade-thickness.

Gary Lewis continued, “The correlation of the positive drilling results and the resistivity represents a valuable enhancement of our understanding of the Lakuwahi mineralisation. We now have confidence that the extensions to the Batu Mas mineralisation and the new targets indicated by the resistivity, which so far is indicated to be in the order of 20-times the size of the Batu Mas area itself, are indeed likely to contain significant precious metal and base metal mineralisation.
Robust’s current drilling plan has been modified in light of the new results and testing of the Batu Mas
North target has already commenced.”

One of the known volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) districts is  Snow Lake which is located in central Manitoba. The VMS mineralization is associated with juvenile rocks of the Flin Flon greenstone belt. The belt is one of the most prolific VMS belts and the largest Paleoproterozoic VMS district in the world. There are several recent examples of geophysical supporting of the exploration programs on the region.

At the end of last year Rockcliff Resources Inc. announced that Geotech Ltd. of Aurora, Ontario has commenced a 3,000 line kilometre airborne survey on the Company’s Snow Lake VMS Project. The ZTEM survey focused on Rockcliff’s Squall and Tramping Properties. Both properties are located approximately 6 km north and south of HudBay’s recently discovered (2007), buried Lalor Deposit where recent deep drilling intersected a new gold/copper zone grading 34.5 m of 5.33% copper and 13.35 g/t gold. The survey also covered Rockcliff’s five near surface copper-rich deposits and additional areas with VMS potential. The survey has the capability of locating conductive bodies down to depths of over a kilometer.

The purpose of the survey was to integrate Rockcliff’s existing VTEM database (13,000 line km) on the project with Geotech’s state of the art ZTEM geophysical technology. The combined surveys allows for complete geophysical coverage and locate conductors buried from near surface to depths in excess of a kilometre. All conductors identified in the survey prioritized based on their conductivity, resistivity and proximity to juvenile arc rocks.

The survey utilized Geotech’s ZTEM or Z-Axis Tipper Electromagnetic system, an innovative airborne EM system which uses the natural or passive audio frequency fields of the Earth as the source of transmitted energy.

Now Rockcliff Resources Inc. announces the drilling program. A minimum of 5,000 metres (m) of drilling are planned in approximately 30 holes. Drilling is planned on the Rail, Reed, Freebeth, Tramping and Squall properties. The targets include extensions of a known copper-gold rich horizon (Rail), additional testing of DPEM & BHPEM anomalies (Reed), an untested borehole anomaly (Freebeth) and untested, buried ZTEM targets (Tramping and Squall). Drilling at the Reed property will focus on a series of deep, off-hole anomalies indicative of multiple, stacked, highly conductive lenses with conductivities typical of massive sulphide mineralization. Four off-hole anomalies at vertical depths of 500 m, 750 m, 880 m and 930 m will be tested.

VMS Ventures Inc. has completed  its diamond drill testing of phase one targets, at the Tower Zone, on  its 100% held Reed 5188 and Reed 5196 claims.  The program consisted of three holes and the extension of a previous hole for a total of 1809 metres.   Diamond drill hole (TZ-08-01) was extended to assess a Borehole Pulse Electromagnetic (BHPEM) anomaly. All drill holes intersected sulphide mineralization explaining the Surface Pulse Electromagnetic (DPEM) and coincident Versatile Time-Domain Electromagnetic (VTEM) anomalies. The Super Zone has been defined on the basis of “AdTau” (see image 2), which is a calculated measurement derived from the analysis and interpretation of VTEM data. AdTau is a direct indication of rock conductivity. The metal-rich mineralization that comprises VMS-type deposits typically produces strong conductivity responses. The 550 hectare Reed Lake Super Zone is interpreted to be highly prospective for this style of deposit. The Company is building its Super Zone exploration plans based on the hypothesis that it may host a VMS camp of several deposits.

Deep-EM and Magnetic Survey Results Map

Troymet Exploration Corp.  announces the commencement of its winter program on the McClarty Lake project located near Snow Lake, Manitoba. The property lies ~45 km south of HudBay Minerals’ Chisel Lake and Lalor Lake volcanic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits.

The establishment of a 10.6 km grid on Troymet’s 100% owned MAC 3 claim is expected to be completed this week, followed by a fixed large loop surface pulse electromagnetic (PEM) survey under contract to Crone Geophysics of Mississauga, Ontario. The grid is centred over the Mac EM conductor that was identified by the Company’s 2008 deep penetrating VTEM helicopter-borne survey and is on trend with the Discovery zone.

The Mac conductor is a high priority target that offers the potential for immediate and significant new VMS discoveries on 100% owned Troymet ground. A 2010 winter diamond drilling program (~1,500 metres) is planned to follow up on results of the PEM survey.

The Wildcat project is located 90 kilometres west of Watson Lake, in the Rancheria District of southern Yukon, Canada.  1,940 hectares in size (19.4 sq km), widespread silver-lead-zinc mineralization occurs across the property. Mineralization on the Wildcat was discovered in the early 1940s where early work focussed on a series of narrow, high-grade argentiferous galena veins and fracture filings, hosted primarily within dolomite and limestone.  More recent work, including diamond drilling in the mid 1980s, was directed at the ‘Main Zone’, a zone of manto-style silver-lead-zinc mineralization.

From 1983 – 85 most work tested a large gossan zone in the central part of the property (the Main Zone). Butler Mountain Minerals completed a Pulse EM survey over the gossan zone and identified a strong, 600 meter long, north-northeast trending conductor. From 1983-85, 35 diamond drill holes were drilled, the majority of which tested this target. Drilling successfully intersected multiple zones of massive pyrrhotite-sphalerite mineralization, with results including 12 feet grading 6.2% Zn, 1.09 oz/t Ag and 0.32% Pb (ddh 83-3), 7 feet grading 5.06% Zn and 9.86 oz/t Ag (ddh 83-6), and 10 feet grading 11.58% Zn, 1.05 oz/t Ag and 0.7 % Pb (ddh 85-10).

During 2008, Killdeer Minerals Inc. completed a horizontal loop electromagnetic (HLEM) survey over the central portion of the Wildcat property. The purpose of the survey was to confirm, re-locate and better define the EM conductor at the Main Zone, as a guide to subsequent drilling, and to test for other conductors elsewhere on the property.

Seven HLEM conductors were identified by the Killdeer Minerals’ 2008 survey. Two of these anomalies are high priorities for follow-up, anomaly H-A (the Main Zone anomaly) and anomaly H-F (1 kilometer to the northwest of H-A) on the lower east flank of Little Guy Hill.

The Main Zone HLEM anomaly is a 1200 meter long, complex north-northeast trending conductor, which is coincident with Pulse EM and VLF-EM conductors identified by previous surveys and with a significant positive magnetic field response. Based on the geophysical response, two styles of mineralization are interpreted, a north-northeast trending, steeply west-dipping mineralized fault zone and, east of this, moderate east-dipping conformable sulfide mineralization, on the east flank of an anticlinal structure. The associated positive magnetic field response results from the pyrrhotite-dominant mineralization. While the fault-controlled mineralization is well tested by previous drilling, drilling has been poorly oriented to test for east-dipping mineralization east of the fault. This is a high priority for follow-up drilling. The other high-priority target for follow-up drill testing is a 200 meter long, north-northeast trending HLEM conductor, also with an associated positive magnetic response, located 1 kilometer to the northwest of the Main Zone in an area of widespread manganese gossan and elevated soil geochemistry.

Australian Richmond Mining Ltd. has finished VTEM survey for exciting DeGrussa style copper-gold targets at Narracoota.

The Narracoota project comprises a 111km² granted tenement located 70km north of Meekatharra, WA and 75km southwest of the significant DeGrussa copper-gold discovery.

Sandfire Resources’ DeGrussa copper-gold discovery appears to be a volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposit and is hosted within rocks of the Narracoota Volcanics.  Richmond Mining’s Narracoota project contains extensive widths of Narracoota Volcanics that are interpreted to occur in at least three structural repetitions, providing a target zone of approximately 20km in length.

Within the strike extension of the main structural repetition lays the Bilyuin magnetic anomaly.  This is a large magnetic feature (approximately 5km long and averages 1 km in width) associated with a volcanic breccia complex outlined in the southern part of the tenement from geophysical data and limited historic drilling.

The Bilyuin magnetic anomaly, coincident with a prominent regional gravity high, is interpreted to be an ancient volcanic centre and could be a possible heat source for the remobilisation of metals, if any are present in the area.  Consequently the breccia could be the ideal host for possible VMS style Cu-Au or Cu-Zn-Pb-Au-Ag systems.

Australian Paradigm Metals Ltd. has announced about continuing positive drill results at Kangiara discovery. The Kangiara project  has significant potential for combined gold – silver – base metal mineralisation. A drill program is in progress, and numerous strong gold-base metal intercepts have been made by the company.  Paradigm is targeting a large open pittable polymetallic resource at Kangiara. The polymetallic gold-lead-zinc-copper-silver mineralization is hosted by Silurian silicic volcanic rocks, near Yass, 250km from Sydney NSW. Sulphide mineralisation to date occurs within a steep dipping north-south striking structure 50 metres wide.  Exploration has discovered a lead-zinc-gold rich lens partly underlain by a gold-copper zone. The sulphide mineralisation occurs close to surface, and is partially overlain by an oxidised cap which contains high grade silver mineralisation. Sulphide mineralisation is dominated by sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, and pyrite. The picture illustrates map of IP chargebility on depth 100 m with drill holes and targets at the Kangiara project. Sulphide mineralisation has now been intersected along a continuous north‐south strike length of 350 metres. Based on the company’s geophysical interpretations, mineralisation could extend southwards along the structure for a further 650 metres.

The IP data was 3D remodeled using 3D geophysical software by Arctan Services Pty Ltd. The data was collected by Noranda (1985) with a 50m east‐west dipole‐dipole setup using a line spacing of 100m.

Hannans Reward Ltd., an explorer focused on prospecting for gold and base metals within Western Australia has conducted airborne VTEM and ZTEM (Geotech Ltd.) and detailed ground FLTEM.
Heli-borne geophysics (VTEM) has identified multiple, well defined and well located EM anomalies within the Forrestania Project.
Majority of the EM anomalies are located within the newly acquired Stormbreaker ground position. Hannans’ Managing Director Damian Hicks said, “The recently completed heli-borne survey (VTEM) within the Stormbreaker Prospect has been extremely successful, generating anomalies covering an aggregate strike length of 14km. Hannans can now focus its future ground based exploration activities on these discrete anomalies.” Importantly the majority of the EM anomalies are located within the newly acquired ground position, which has not previously been exposed to any modern nickel exploration. The previous owners were solely focused on gold exploration.
We also have a newly developed airborne geophysical technique (ZTEM) being trialled over the Stormbreaker Prospect to determine if any additional deeper EM anomalies can be identified. Once the current helicopter surveys are finished we’ll immediately start ground based geophysical surveys (FLTEM) to further refine the EM anomalies. This will also assist with 3D modelling of the anomalies in preparation for drill testing. With such a large number of EM anomalies, it is anticipated that this ground surveying will continue through December and into January 2010.”
The detailed FLTEM surveying will refine the 13 recently identified priority VTEM targets and is anticipated to be completed during January 2010. Upon receipt of the final FLTEM data, geophysical modelling and subsequent drill hole positioning can commence.