West Cobar Metals (ASX:WC1) expands Cobar footprint with new Lilyvale copper target
West Cobar Metals has expanded its landholding in New South Wales’ Cobar Basin after securing Exploration Licence EL9912, which covers the Lilyvale copper target and strengthens the company’s district-scale copper position.
The company said the grant of EL9912 secures a concealed copper target defined by a large gravity anomaly interpreted to be potentially larger and more intense than the geophysical signature associated with the company’s Bulla Park copper-antimony-silver deposit.
West Cobar now controls approximately 1,090km² across approximately 120km strike of prospective Cobar stratigraphy.
Highlights
- EL9912 granted, securing the Lilyvale copper target
- West Cobar now controls approximately 1,090km² across approximately 120km strike of prospective Cobar stratigraphy
- Lilyvale gravity anomaly interpreted to be larger and more intense than the geophysical signature associated with Bulla Park
- Blind Freddie hosts a copper-gold anomaly extending more than 2.5km
- Bulla Park hosts an Inferred Mineral Resource of 20Mt at 0.58% CuEq
- Detailed gravity surveys planned to commence immediately
West Cobar said large areas of its tenure are concealed beneath younger Mulga Downs Group cover and alluvium and have seen limited effective historical exploration.
The company said Bulla Park provides an analogue for concealed mineralisation within the district, with the deposit associated with a prominent gravity high that reflects dense siderite-barite alteration linked to copper-antimony-silver mineralisation.
At the Lilyvale prospect, surface exposure is limited due to extensive alluvial cover masking the underlying geology, with West Cobar stating that historical rock chip and float sampling identified broad lead anomalism comparable to that associated with the Bulla Park system, while anomalous copper values were also identified within the target area.
At Bulla Park, copper-antimony-silver mineralisation is spatially associated with a significant near-surface lead anomaly defined by historical RAB drilling and geochemical sampling.
West Cobar Managing director Matt Szwedzicki said
“Lilyvale is particularly exciting because the gravity anomaly appears of greater apparent size and intensity than the anomaly associated with our Bulla Park deposit, while surface geochemistry is considered supportive of a potentially concealed mineralised system beneath shallow cover.”
The company also highlighted the Blind Freddie prospect, where historical geochemical data has defined a copper-gold anomaly extending for at least 2.5km along a major interpreted structural corridor associated with a strong gravity feature.
West Cobar said this geophysical setting is consistent with known controls on Cobar-style mineralisation systems.
The company said exploration programs are planned to commence immediately and include detailed ground gravity surveys over Lilyvale, targeting multiple concealed Cobar-style and Bulla Park-style systems, RAB and aircore drilling at Blind Freddie, and RC drilling of priority targets.