YIDBY COPPER PROJECT : E59/2426
Copper Hill Prospect
A review of previous exploration on tenement E59/2426 located to the east of the companies Yidby Gold project, revealed records of gossans in and around the extensive banded iron formation (BIF) that dominates the area, with up to 2000 ppm Ni in rock chip samples and up to 101 ppm Gold in stream sediment sampling and 400ppm Copper in broad spaced soil sampling.
In addition, sulphides, including chalcopyrite and native copper were reported from drilling carried out by Prosperity Resources Ltd in 2008 during investigations of the Iron grade and potential of the BIF. Prosperity also noted that “the presence of disseminated sulphide mineralisation (pyrite, chalcopyrite and native copper) within high magnesian basalts, is thought to be related to seafloor volcanism and may suggest that potential exists for Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) style mineralisation within the area” (Source: Prosperity Resources Ltd. Annual Technical Report 22 July 2007 to 21 July 2008). Pancontinental Mining recorded a maximum gold sample result of 101ppm from stream samples originating in the banded iron formations present in the area. (source: Pancontinental Mining Ltd. Exploration Licence 59/88 Relinquishment report, 14 October 1985).
Exploration
In July 2024, Surefire initiated a soil sampling, mapping and geological investigations of the area. Soil samples were collected on north-south lines 250m apart, with samples collected at 100m intervals.
Assay results revealed an extensive contiguous zone of anomalous copper and zinc values with up to 310 ppm Copper; 100 ppm Zinc, 100 ppm Cobalt, 452 ppm Sulphur. These are shown on figure 4 and 5. the anomalous zones are large ranging from approximately 500m x 400m up to 1km x 500m in size and are contiguous across sample lines.
Location
The Copper Hill prospect is located on the southern portion of E59/2426 where previous exploration highlighted native copper and sulphides during a drilling programme that was investigating the Banded Iron Formation (BIF) as a magnetite resource, within a package of interpreted submarine volcanic rocks.
Copper Hill Project Location Map
Geological setting
The Golden Grove Volcanic Hosted Massive Sulphide (VHMS) deposit is located 50km to the North West from Yidby East in the Warrieddar fold belt (see Figures 1 and 4), with mineralisation occurring along the northeastern flank of the structure.
Mineralisation is associated with folded banded iron stones, meta volcanics and volcanic derived sediments, see figure 6; (Source: Ray Smith, CRC LEME, 2003. “Gossan Hill Cu-Zn-Au Deposit, Western Australia”).
The Yidby East/Phat Boy area has a similar geological and structural setting with rock formations contemporaneous with the Golden Grove Warrieddar fold belt.