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Copper|Exploration|Mining|PROJECT|Surface|Technology|Drilling
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copper|exploration|mining|project|surface|technology|drilling

Hudbay reports 'significant' Arizona copper discovery

31st March 2021

By: Creamer Media Reporter

     

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Toronto- and New York-listed Hudbay Minerals has made a "significant" new discovery at its Copper World properties, adjacent to its Rosemont copper project, in Arizona.

The company announced this week the intersection of high-grade copper sulphide and oxide mineralisation at shallow depth on its Copper World mining claims, which are located about 7 km from Rosemont.

The drill programme was initiated in 2020 to confirm historical drilling in this past-producing copper region formerly known as Helvetia. After receiving encouraging initial results, the company launched a larger drill programme in early 2021 and has since doubled the number of drill rigs at site to six to further test the four known deposits at Copper World and the potential for additional mineralisation.

Senior VP and COO Cashel Meagher stated that the team had intersected mineralisation that contained higher grades closer to surface than at Rosemont.

“Copper World has the potential to host at least four economic deposits with a relatively low strip ratio and may prove to be a viable open-pit operation that is either separate from or additive to our Rosemont project,” he said in a statement.

The 2020 drilling at Broad Top Butte confirmed the occurrence of significant shallow copper oxide and sulphide mineralisation.

Drill hole #011 intersected a very strong mineralised zone of 440 feet of 1.38% copper starting at 365 feet from surface, including 70 feet of 4.2% copper in a massive sulphide zone with chalcopyrite and bornite in skarn. This high-grade sulphide mineralisation appears to be similar in copper content to the historical production from the nearby King Exile mine located about 200 feet to the north of this drill hole intersection. King Exile mine was discovered in 1899 and was in production until 1959. Copper oxide mineralisation was found in the upper portion of the mineralised zones both in porphyry and skarns. The drilling also intersected significant mineralisation in areas with no historical drilling along a major regional structure, known as the backbone fault. This domain consists of quartzite and other sedimentary units located along a north trending steep dipping fault zone that hosts significant oxide mineralisation that can be mapped on surface almost as a continuum from Broad Top Butte to the Rosemont deposit. Drill hole #012 intersected 246 feet of 0.70% copper from surface.

The average grade of soluble copper in sulfuric acid is 0.53% indicating that about 75% of the copper is contained in oxides and easily recoverable by a proven and low-cost leaching technology.

All the 2020 drill holes at the Peach target included at least one significant mineralised intercept. Many included high-grade thick intercepts starting at or very near surface, with significant copper oxide in the upper portion of the profile. Drill hole #035A intersected 500 feet of 0.82% copper from surface with 40% of the copper in oxides. Similarly, hole #062 intersected 300 feet of 0.64% copper from surface with 40% of the copper in oxides.

At the Elgin target, shallow mineralization also starts at surface in most cases. Drill hole #051 intersected 140 feet of 1.01% copper from surface and hole #048 intersected 280 feet of 0.46% copper from surface. The Elgin deposit remains open to the south and to the east where another porphyry intrusive similar in geometry and nature as those identified at Rosemont and Broad Top Butte appears to be the main controlling feature associated with the occurrence of copper mineralisation.

“This new discovery on our private land in Arizona demonstrates our team’s strong expertise in exploration,” said Hudbay president and CEO Peter Kukielski.

“They saw an opportunity to consolidate mineralization in the region and we are excited to continue to explore Copper World while remaining committed to advancing Rosemont through the appeals process.”

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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