Litchfield boosts NT base metals case with broad drill hits

Litchfield Minerals has delivered an encouraging clutch of broad copper-zinc-silver hits from phase three reverse circulation (RC) drilling at its Oonagalabi base metals project in the Harts Range region, 120km northeast of Alice Springs in the NT.

The phase three campaign completed 11 RC holes for 1772 metres and three diamond holes for 1217.9m across the Main zone targets, Bomb Diggity, and the VT1 and VT2 geophysical targets, extending previously identified mineralisation and improving the company’s overall understanding of the mineral system.

The best intercept from the program came from a reverse circulation drillhole at the Oonagalabi Main target, which returned an impressive 120m at 0.35 per cent copper, 0.92 per cent zinc and 4.1 grams per tonne (g/t) silver from 52m, including a best interval of 60m at 0.52 per cent copper, 1.26 per cent zinc and 6.3g/t silver.

That 120m run also included two more key intervals of 15m and 45m, with copper grading to 0.32 per cent, zinc to 0.98 per cent and silver to 3.8g/t.

A diamond hole drilled an estimated 100m west of the above RC hole at Oonagalabi also delivered a combined run of 68.26m at 0.62 per cent copper, 1.44 per cent zinc and 4.3g/t silver from 10m.

A second RC hole, collared 300m southwest of the separate 120m run, delivered a combined 50m grading 0.47 per cent copper, 1.36 per cent zinc and 4.2g/t silver from an attention-grabbing shallow depth of just 2m.

That second RC intercept also included 37m at 0.53 per cent copper, 1.54 per cent zinc and 4.9g/t silver from 2m, along with included intercepts of 8m from 67m and 5m from 87m carrying grades up to 0.23 per cent copper, 0.57 per cent zinc and 2.9g/t silver.

Three more RC holes at the Oonagalabi Main zone, within 300m southwest of the key 120m drill hit, also delivered runs of between 20m and 39m grading up to 0.69 per cent copper, 3.78 per cent zinc and 5.3g/t silver.

Drilling has confirmed broad to narrow zones of copper-zinc mineralisation, including multiple high-grade internal zones, while several holes have intersected broad, stacked mineralisation from near surface, supporting both lateral and vertical continuity within the Oonagalabi Main zone.

Litchfield Minerals managing director Matthew Pustahya said: “This drilling campaign has improved our understanding of the Oonagalabi mineral system and generated several important vectors for future exploration. The Oonagalabi Main Zone continues to return broad copper-zinc mineralisation; however, the geometry of the system appears more structurally complex than initially modelled. The