TAPANAPPA BASE METAL PROJECT (TRT:100%)
The Tapanappa Project in South Australia comprises one exploration licence (granted in July 2023) covering 400 square kilometres of an under explored section of the meta-sedimentary Tapanappa Formation (Figures 1 and 2), which regionally hosts numerous base metal deposits including the 3.0 Mt Angas deposit (8.0% Zn 3.1% Pb 34 g/t Ag) and the 28 Mt Kanmantoo deposit (0.9% Cu, 0.2 g/t Au).
The Angas deposit, like Broken Hill, has gahnite (zinc spinel) alteration proximal to ore and within the host lode horizon. Recently, Geoscience Australia published Data Release 1 of the Heavy Mineral Map of Australia Project, which has results of automated heavy mineral analyses across the Darling-Curnamona-Delamerian region. Of interest is a sample with anomalous grain counts of gahnite (25 vs background of 0-5) from a sample draining in the middle of the project area. The gahnite indicates the Angas style of mineralisation is likely present within the project area.
The project area is dominated by thin (5-50m) transported cover and has limited outcrop, therefore historical surficial exploration such as soil sampling was ineffective. Limited RAB drilling completed within the project area did not generally penetrate the cover to effectively test the targets. The cover is not expected to be challenge for any future drilling, as the preferred method of aircore drilling will penetrate the cover easily. The deposit style is associated with magnetic anomalies and it is therefore possible to define target areas despite the cover.
Early stage sampling and heavy mineral analytical studies will enable further exploration to be focused on key areas of prospectivity.
