Closing in on copper in Greenvale porphyry systems

Queensland’s mining history has another chapter to be written. It’ll be under ‘G’ for Greenvale with a sub-category ‘P’ for porphyry. The area north west of Charters Towers is where junior miner Superior Resources has exploration tenements. The value was coming into its own in offering the economics of convenience, timeliness and demand for battery metals nickel and copper said managing director Peter Hwang. Superior Resources MD Peter Hwang Back in the deep dark mists of time, tectonic movement pushed a fore-arc and back-arc regions of an island arc together. The fore-arc was a copper-gold belt, the back arc, a sulphide nickel-copper belt-PGE (Platinum Group Elements) belt. That’s Superior’s Greenvale ground. Related: Strong signs for Bottletree size potential In the past, junior miners had generally avoided porphyry exploration but the economics of copper and nickel as battery metals meant it now stacked up, said Mr Hwang. “We're in a different age right now and copper is of such a value that porphyries are very attractive to all sectors,” Mr Hwang said. “These haven't been fairly touched in terms of exploration in the past. Modern exploration has been very limited in the area, and I suppose we're one of the first, if not the first, to focus on exploration for central NSW-type porphyries that have giant scale potential. “And next door, adjacent to the porphyry province, we have the nickel-copper PGE that's been initially explored by Anglo American, but they haven't really touched it in terms of drill-testing. “There are two large provinces, with multiple mineral systems, so enormous potential. Most companies, particular in the junior sector would talk about a single prospect or maybe a couple of prospects, but these are two provinces that contain multiple prospects.” Porphyry deposits were generally low grade and high volume said Mr Hwang. “In relation to the broad zones of Copper mineralisation observed so far at our Bottletree prospect, that's positive because it's also consistent with, or what you would expect to find surrounding a porphyry or within a porphyry system.” “And we now have full confidence that we do have multiple porphyry systems there. “The ultimate KPI (for 2023) is to basically make a discovery at Bottletree (prospect), plus also make a similar discovery at Cockie Creek. “When I say discovery, we've discovered extensive copper mineralisation that is part of a porphyry system at Bottletree, but to the ultimate prize is the potassic core of the porphyry system, that's where the main deposit will be.”

Closing in on copper in Greenvale porphyry systems

Industry Queensland

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