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Brownfield exploration surrounding the Wafi-Golpu deposits in FY09 focused on defining additional mineral resources to impact development of the project. Compilation and interpretation of the historical Wafi-Golpu datasets were undertaken to create a new, integrated 3D geological model. This work highlighted the north and north-eastern margins of the central diatreme intrusive as being underexplored, and prioritised the area for follow-up work in FY10.
Exploration during the first half of FY09 was directed at scoping and delineating the Nambonga North porphyry resource. Subsequent reconnaissance drilling along strike to the north-east of the Golpu resource on the Wafi Transfer identified significant anomalism at the Miapilli Prospect.
Geology and prospect location plan showing Wafi brownfields prospects within EL440 and regional greenfields exploration prospect locations along the Wafi Transfer structure.
The Wafi gold and Golpu copper-gold project footprint was expanded during FY09 to include the Nambonga porphyry copper-gold resource. The project area now contains 11.1 million ounces of gold, 47 million pounds of molybdenum and 4.1 billion pounds of copper.
Concept studies to investigate development alternatives and unlock the value of this major resource remain a priority for FY10. A new consolidated resource model incorporating Nambonga and several previously un-modelled zones of gold and silver mineralisation is currently being constructed, and will be contemplated as part of this process.
Drilling continues to target additional surface resources and expansion of the known deposits along strike and at depth.
The Nambonga North prospect, which lies approximately 2 kilometres north-west of Golpu, was progressed during the year from an advanced prospect into an inferred copper-gold porphyry resource of 39.8Mt @ 0.8g/t Au and 0.2% Cu for 1.0M oz Au and 86Kt Cu. (50% attributable to Harmony). Importantly, this recent discovery represents the second mineralised copper-gold porphyry in the region that does not outcrop at surface.
The Miapilli prospect is located north-east along strike of the Wafi-Golpu porphyry copper-gold deposit on the Wafi Transfer structure and was recognised based on a circular magnetic anomaly, interpreted to represent an alteration halo associated with intrusion of a porphyry body at depth.
Three initial drillholes for a total of 2 060m were completed and magnetic bodies modelled from the regional magnetics. While the two northern holes drilled failed to intersect any indications of mineralisation, the southernmost hole, WR307, intersected altered and mineralised metamorphic host rocks, adjacent to an andesitic intrusive. Significant anomalous mineralisation was encountered in this hole, including:
Follow up drilling of this initial result identified a large stockwork and alteration ystem, with anomalous gold and copper mineralisation over approximately 350mdh. Hole WR315 returned a best intercept of:
This intercept corresponds well with that from WR307, and demonstrates an increase in width and tenor at depth and to the south. The prospect currently remains open in these directions.
Reprocessing of regional magnetics generated a number of targets along the north-east trending Wafi transfer structure, a major regional fault zone controlling the emplacement of numerous intrusives and related mineralisation events. FY09 exploration activity focused on developing prospect areas in unexplored parts of the Wafi transfer structure, including the Pekumbe and Kesiago Prospects in EL1103. Systematic exploration of this fertile structure will continue during FY10.
Regional work to follow-up FY08 results at Biamena prospect was also completed.
The Kesiago anomaly covers an area of approximately 3 square kilometres, located on the Wafi transfer structure approximately 4 kilometre south-west of Golpu. This prospect has the potential for both epithermal gold and porphyry copper-gold deposits similar to those of Wafi-Golpu.
Recent surface work extending the soil geochemical coverage outlined a significant Au-As-Pb-Ag anomaly immediately north-west of the existing drill target. First pass drill testing of this zone is planned for the first half of FY10.
The Pekumbe target is located approximately 1.5 kilometre south-west of Kesiago, within EL1103. This target is characterised by a 1.6 kilometre long magnetic anomaly with several north-south oriented structural breaks. Field reconnaissance has returned highly encouraging results, with up to 25g/t Au and 64g/t Ag in rock chip samples. Followup grid-based soil sampling has commenced, with drill testing of any delineated anomalies planned for early in FY10.
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