Helix Resources Ltd (ASX:HLX) has had a “tremendous start for the year” with strong copper results returned from scout reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the Bijoux prospect in the resource-rich Cobar-Nyngan area of central NSW.
Bijoux has been confirmed as a new discovery with results of up to 36 metres at 0.99% copper from 41 metres including 6 metres at 1.99% from 62 metres in oxide mineralisation in hole BJRC012.
High-grade results
The sulphide mineralisation also produced “sparkling” results of up to 10 metres at 1.48% copper from 182 metres including 2 metres at 5.76% from 184 metres in hole BJRC010 and 11 metres at 0.94% from 140 metres including 4 metres at 1.90% from 144 metres in BJRC013.
These copper results have outlined a 200-metre-long NNW-trending zone which is open to depth and along strike with the discovery validating and enhancing the high-grade copper potential of the 30-kilometre Rochford Copper Trend.
“A fresh sparkle”
Helix’s executive technical director Kylie Prendergast said: “Helix is thrilled to report the results from its new Bijoux discovery, where drilling has so far tested only a 200-metre portion of a much larger 1.6-kilometre auger copper anomaly.
"Bijoux is French for ‘jewellery’ and these early results have put a fresh sparkle into a historical prospect.
"This is an important discovery with wider ramifications as it further validates and enhances the high-grade copper potential of the Rochford Copper Trend beyond our Canbelego Mineral Resource located 9 kilometres to the north.”
Nine holes completed
Helix completed nine RC holes for 1,716 metres during the campaign with copper mineralisation reported from all nine holes.
This scout program completed in late 2023 was part of an aggressive target generation and testing program aimed at making new copper and copper-gold discoveries in the region.
Bijoux RC drilling plan showing interpreted geology and copper intercepts.
“A tremendous start”
"The Rochford Trend is a 30-kilometre zone containing the Canbelego copper deposit and Western Lodes, the Caballero prospect, numerous historical mines and robust untested copper and VTEM anomalies,” Prendergast said.
"The Exploration Team is working diligently to unravel the copper mineralisation in the Rochford Trend.
"These Bijoux results are a tremendous start for the year and bode well for the major 2024 drill campaign currently being planned.
"We are lining up a series of targets for drill testing on the Rochford Copper Trend, on new emerging trends and the eastern Collerina Trend.
"We are certainly starting to see the results of the past year’s target generation activity underpinning an exciting drill campaign to make new discoveries.”
Next steps
The company is planning orientation IP and gravity surveys at the Canbelego project, which will be undertaken in the first quarter of 2024.
The results of these orientation surveys will inform future deployment of geophysical surveys at Bijoux and other new targets, given the mineralisation style is similar and both are hosted within the prospective Rochford Trend.
Geological and structural modelling of Bijoux is in progress with follow-up drilling to be planned when the modelling is completed. Drilling is likely to resume in the first quarter of 2024 as part of the major drill campaign the company has planned.