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 Cloncurry South
Tenements and Agreements
The Cloncurry South Project consists of three EPMs, situated to the south
and southwest of Cloncurry. All Tenements are referred to as “EPM” regardless
of the application / grant status. The tenements cover approximately
350km2 of the Mount Isa Block (Figure 1). The St Andrews Extended EPM
is part of the Carpentaria Joint Venture between Xstrata Copper and Sovereign.
Table 1: Cloncurry
South Project - Tenement Details
Tenement |
Name |
Area
(km²) |
EPM12180 |
St Andrews Ext. |
48.0 |
EPM12530 |
Boomerang |
191.9 |
EPM15293 |
Malbon |
105.7 |
Totals |
|
345.6 |
Exploration Potential
The tenement areas have the potential to host both Pb-Zn-Ag and iron oxide-Cu-Au
mineralisation. The position of the tenements, in the east of the outcrop
of the Mount Isa Block and, in part, under Mesozoic cover, has meant that
they have been largely unexplored.
The tenement covers rocks of the Kuridala and Staveley Formations. Both
are known to contain significant mineralisation of different types, hosted
by a variety of lithologies. To the east of the application area, the
Cannington Pb-Zn-Ag mine is hosted by older gneissic rocks. The area
as a whole is strongly mineralised by base and precious metals. The
distribution of mineralisation throughout the region appears to be related
more to structure and to the presence of mineralising fluids rather than
to the presence of particular lithologies. The tenements are considered
to be prospective for both base and precious metals, because they contain
large areas of the mineralised Kuridala Formation and because the region
has been heavily influenced by structural dislocation and mineralising events. Figure
2, an aeromagnetic image of the project area, displays the relationship between
structures and known mineralisation.
Within the St Andrews Extended EPM, 12180, the Edgarda Prospect contains
magnetic hydrothermal-related system targets that require drill testing.
St Andrews Extended
The St Andrews Extended tenement, EPM 12180, is located about 60km southeast
of Mount Isa in Western Fold Belt stratigraphy. The tenement area is
cut by a series of northeast-trending faults that appear to be part of a
major fracture system that is proximal to the Mary Kathleen uranium deposit
and the Dugald River Zn and Roseby Cu-Au projects further to the north. Past
exploration in the area by Mount Isa Mines Limited defined a large area of
Cu and Au anomalous magnetite/red-rock alteration that extends into the southern
section of the application. In addition to RAB geochemistry, ground
magnetic and EM surveys were carried out. Eagle explored the ground
to the north and outlined a geochemical soil anomaly that extended into the
northern section of the application.
Boomerang
The Boomerang EPM, 12530, is situated about 60km south of Cloncurry. It
is comprised of 11 separate areas and is primarily over rocks of the Williams
Batholith and the Kuridala and Staveley Formations, which host the Mount
Elliot and Selwyn Mines.
The Kuridala Formation, a metamorphosed sedimentary unit composed mainly
of quartzites, shales, and mica schists, contains a number of significant
deposits and prospects, including:
- The Pegmont Pb-Zn deposit, which has Indicated and Inferred Resources
totalling 8.3Mt at 7.75% Pb and 3.46% Zn.
- The Mt Elliot Cu-Au mine, which at June 2001 had past production and
Measured, Indicated, and Inferred resources totalling 11.8Mt at 2.4% Cu
and 1.2g/t Au. The mineralisation is within altered carbonaceous
phyllite, metasiltstone, and schist.
- The Kuridala Cu mining area.
- The Osborne Cu-Au mine to the south of the tenement area is probably
within the formation. In 1998, prior to mining, its Measured and
Indicated Resources totalled 11.2Mt at 3.51% Cu and 1.49g/t Au.
- The Killer Bore Zn Prospect in the south of the area.
The Staveley Formation consists largely of siltstone, sandstone, and calc-silicates. Iron
rich schists and quartz-haematite-magnetite ironstones are present near the
base of the formation. The ironstones contain Cu-Au mineralisation,
notably in the Selwyn (Starra) mine area. At June 2001 Selwyn had past
production and measured, indicated, and inferred resources totalling 40Mt
at 1.4% Cu and 2.0g/t Au.
Malbon
The three sections of the Malbon application, EPM 15293, are centred about
60km south-southeast of Cloncurry. The application contains Malbon
Group sediments and volcanics (predominantly clastic sediments and basalts),
which are intruded by a granitic batholith in the south and west of the area. Cu
and Pb anomalism is present in the central portion of the tenement area.
Figure 1: Cloncurry South Project – Geological
Map
Figure 2: Cloncurry South Project – Aeromagnetic
Image
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