EXPLORATION UPDATE – MT TURNER PROJECT
VANCOUVER, BC, June 21,
2022 /CNW/ - Essex Minerals Inc. (the
"Company") (TSX-V: ESX) (OTCQB: ESXFM) (FRA: EWX1) is pleased to
announce that the first phase of exploration on the Mt Turner
Cu-Mo-Au project in north Queensland has identified a number of
previously unknown near surface drilling targets as well as sub
vertical deeper targets possibly associated with porphyry
mineralisation targets.
The Mt Turner property is under option to Meryllion Resources
Corporation (CSE: MYR) ("Meryllion") which is funding an induced
polarization (IP) geophysical and mapping program to identify drill
targets associated with an under-explored porphyry intrusive
complex.
Highlights
- A Phase 1 total of 31-line km of IP has been completed over the
Mt Turner porphyry complex. The lines were spaced at 400 m with readings at 100
m along the lines (See Figure 1).
- The IP program has successfully identified a number of
significant high-intensity chargeability anomalies indicative of
sulphide mineralisation within a large felsic, porphyry style
mineralising centre (see Figure 2) with strike lengths of up to 1.6
km and widths of up to 1.2 km. The largest anomaly remains open to
the north.
- Coincident with and spatially related to the chargeability
anomalies, detailed mapping has discovered a number of altered
sub-volcanic and high-level volcanic intrusives, as well as an
elongate, extensively altered, volcanic centre.
- Strike continuous chargeability anomalies have been identified
in four main geological settings (See Figure 3):
-
- A flat-lying high chargeability zone at a depth of between 100
- 150 m on the eastern flank of the
altered volcanic centre.
- Sub-horizontal and vertical deeper anomalies associated with
the Mt Turner-type volcanic intrusives.
- Additional vertical anomalies associated with a NE trending
western structural corridor.
- Anomalies associated with vertical altered sub-volcanic
intrusives.
- The eastern flat-lying zone is characterised by a +40
millivolt/volt anomaly currently traced for a strike of 1.6 km
(open to the north) with a width of up to 1.2 km. Initial
interpretation suggests this anomaly could represent a secondary
sulphide blanket or mineralisation associated with overlying
impervious flat-lying volcanic units and underlying coarser units
and flat granite fractures above vertical feeder structures — a
classic trap site for hydrothermal fluids. The anomaly represents a
previously unknown, significant near surface drill target.
- The sub-horizontal and associated vertical anomalies are
associated with the annular Mt Turner and Mt Turner East intrusive
centres and provide important new data in defining significant
porphyry drill targets at Mt Turner. Detailed field mapping has
confirmed the contact of the intrusive and granite host is often
occupied by annular hydrothermal and collapsed breccias intruded by
late-stage pebble dykes. The clasts are rounded indicating
transport and cemented in places by drusy quartz and gossan and
display open space texture. In addition, quartz veined mineralised
clasts within the breccia indicate that hydrothermal fluids have
brought deeper mineralisation to the surface (See Figure 4). These
hydrothermal breccias may have transported deeper porphyry style
molybdenite mineralisation to the surface which has been identified
in previously reported soil anomalies. Decompression breccias
indicative of a porphyry environment have also been observed.
- The western NE striking zone varies from 100 to 200 m wide and is currently 1.2 km in strike.
Several zones of quartz veined gossanous breccias associated with
fault slices of schist and altered granite intruded by rhyolite
dykes are evident at surface. A significant (+40 millivolt/volt)
vertical chargeability anomaly is coincident with a gold in soil
anomaly on IP Line 3 and 5. Supergene copper mineralisation has
been located at lower elevations associated with quartz veining.
Several rock chips of surface mineralisation have been submitted
for assay.
Essex Minerals President and CEO Paul
Loudon: said: "We are delighted with the Phase 1 results
from the IP program, which has identified significant near surface
and deeper porphyry drill targets co-incident with previously
identified surface gold, copper and molybdenum in soil anomalies.
These new sulphide targets are also associated with peripheral
associated gold mineralization targets on the regional scale
Drummer Fault and breccia complexes further to the north, making
the Mt Turner property an exciting new exploration
centre."
Meryllion Option and Joint
Venture
Essex has granted Meryllion a
90-day option to fund a minimum $250,000 on exploration at Mt Turner, including a
detailed IP survey to define drill targets within the porphyry
system. Meryllion will then have the right to earn up to a 70%
interest in the project by funding up to a further $3,800,000 in exploration in three stages. (see
Company News Release of April 26,
2022)
Summary Geology and Mineralization
of the Mt Turner Project
The Mount Turner Property lies in the western portion of the
Georgetown Inlier, which constitutes the bulk of the proclaimed
Etheridge Goldfield. It consists of
variably metamorphosed and deformed sedimentary and volcanic rocks
of Palaeo- to Mesoproterozoic age, intruded by Mesoproterozoic
granites.
The Proterozoic rocks have been intruded by Siluro-Devonian age
granitic rocks during a period of subduction and underplating that
is thought to have occurred during the Tabberabberan cycle of the
Tasman Orogen (ca 430-380 Ma).
The Georgetown Inlier subsequently experienced a period of
felsic intrusion and accompanied sub-aerial volcanism during the
Carboniferous to Permian period (ca 350-230 Ma) associated with
extension and rifting that developed during the Hunter-Bowen cycle
of the Tasman Orogeny. This magmatism is termed the Kennedy Igneous
Association, which consists of widespread and voluminous felsic
extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks, producing a number of large
volcanic subsidence structures. This magmatic event was responsible
for the 5 million-ounce Kidston gold deposit located some 70 km to
the SE of Mt Turner and several other precious metal deposits in
Queensland.
The Permo-Carboniferous Mt Turner intrusive complex, which is
centred within the property, consists of multiple phases of
rhyolite to micro-granodiorite dykes, stocks and associated
breccias, hosted by the Meso-Proterozoic Mount Turner Granite and
metasediments of the Palaeo-Proterozoic Lane Creek Formation.
The property was initially examined under special Department
Reserve during the 1975-78 field seasons by geologists of the
Australian Government's Bureau of Mineral Resources (now Geoscience
Australia) and the Geological Survey of Queensland after discovery of extensive
hydrothermal alteration around Mt Turner.
The subsequent report (Baker & Horton, 1982) described the
intrusive complex as a porphyry copper- molybdenum system with
zoned polymetallic mineralisation. The report was based on 11
widespread, shallow vertical drill holes, <100 metres in depth
and four diamond holes, only one of which was located near the
intrusive centre. None of the drill holes were assayed in their
entirety.
A portion of Mt Turner was held by Kidston Gold Mines ("KGM") in
1994-1998 and assessed for gold only. Mega Uranium flew detailed
regional aeromagnetics in 2006-2007 as part of a regional uranium
assessment. No follow-up exploration has been undertaken on the
porphyry copper-molybdenum potential identified in the 1970s until
the ground was staked in 2019 by KNX Resources Limited, an
Australian exploration company now owned 100% by Essex.
Essex currently owns 100% of
the Mt Turner property.
Adoption of Advance Notice
Provisions
As disclosed in the Company's management information circular
dated April 13, 2022, the Company has
adopted a new form of Articles, which include, among other things,
the adoption of advance notice provisions (the "Advance Notice
Provisions") in respect of nomination of directors for election at
annual general meetings of the Company. The Company received
shareholder approval for the new Articles at its annual general and
special meeting held on May 16,
2022.
The purpose of the Advance Notice Provisions is (i) to provide
shareholders, directors and management of the Company with
direction on the procedure for shareholder nomination of directors;
(ii) to establish a framework pursuant to which the Company fixes a
deadline by which holders of record of common shares must submit
director nominations to the Company prior to any annual or special
meeting of shareholders; and (iii) to set forth the information
that a shareholder must include in the notice to the Company for
the nomination notice to be in proper written form.
A copy of the new Articles of the Company will be available on
the Company's profile on www.SEDAR.com.
About Essex
Essex Minerals is an exploration and development company focused
on mineral exploration and mine development and finance
opportunities where it can adopt an option earn-in and joint
venture model. The company identifies geological teams that have
already expended the time and capital to assemble top quality,
advanced projects, with a particular emphasis on gold projects in
Tier 1 jurisdictions, where the Company can earn an interest by
funding exploration. Management's time is shared across several
different projects, as the geological teams already in place at the
project level manage the approved exploration and development
programs. This strategy has the potential to accelerate the
growth in shareholder value for Essex by earning an interest in a range of
projects of merit in a much shorter time frame than otherwise would
be possible.
Qualified Person
All of the scientific and technical information contained in
this news release has been reviewed and/or prepared by Mr
Lee K. Spencer, BSc (Hons), MSc,
MAusIMM, a "Qualified Person" within the meaning of National
Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Minerals
Projects.
ISSUED ON BEHALF OF ESSEX
MINERALS INC.
Paul Loudon
President & CEO
www.essexminerals.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
SOURCE Essex Minerals Inc