Projects

The Hurricane Antimony Project

 

Establishing the Hurricane Antimony Project 

 

In early 2014

 

A preliminary activity field trip into the western extent of the Project Area was completed to ground proof the Holmes Anomaly (gold antimony), which was first discovered in 1988 by Sanworth Pty Ltd/Hawk Investments Ltd (ATP4259 CRN19844).


In late 2014

 

Innovative and modern aerial photography technology was deployed over the Project Area. The Hurricane Range between the Retina Fault and the Hurricane Fault was used to map and plan a safe entry into the region, and to further identify prospective structures.


It showed the Holmes Anomaly (120m x 60m 13 rock chips up to 21.2 g/t Au and 20.8% Sb).

 

In 2015

 

A ground proofing preliminary activity field trip was undertaken, and confirmed the discovery of three new structures:


  • Tornado Prospect (750m x 4m, 51 rock chips up to 17.6g/t Au)
  • Cyclone Prospect (500m x 4m, 5 rock chips up to 7.4g/t Au)
  • Monsoon Prospect (600m x 8m, 20 rock chips up to 4.0g/t Au)

 

In 2018

 

A scoping study was prepared for an ‘Advanced Activity Drilling Program’ to target the high-grade zones in both the Holmes and Tornado prospects, with the following undertakings and results being achieved: 

 

    • An ‘Access and Compensation Agreement’ was executed with the Landholder to facilitate access track preparation and the drilling program,
      ‘Cultural Heritage and Native Title Protections’ were negotiated and cleared,
    • An access track was developed into the Tornado prospect,
    • A 15kg bulk sample of oxidised ore taken from the Holmes prospect returned a grade of 9.2g/t,
    • A 60kg bulk sample taken from the Tornado prospect had a grade of 4.2g/t,
    • The process test work confirmed:

 

– VSI crushing to P100 600um was achieved with a recirculating load of 480%,

– Gold concentration via gravity was not viable,

– Gold concentration via flotation was moderately successful, achieving 67.0% gold recovery into 6.3% of the mass, or 85% recovery into 22% of the mass,

– Gold recovery via leaching was successful, and showed:

 

  1. Leach test work on the P100 150um flotation concentrate resulted in 92.9% recovery in 1 hour, 95.4% in 2 hours and 99.7% in 12 hours,

  2. Leach test work on a typical sample of ROM ore, VSI crushed to P100 600um resulted in 82.6% gold recovery in 1 hour, 89.0% in 2 hours and 91.4% in 6 hours,

  3. There was nothing found in the way of deleterious elements that could affect leaching or downstream processing.

 

In 2019

 

A JORC compliant exploration program initially defined a 1,500,000t resource before making a further staged progression:


1. As an Exploration Project with the aim to increase the JORC resource volume to 4.0Mt and 500,000oz by expanding drilling to other prospects and at greater depths, OR
2. As a development project with the aim to increase the JORC confidence and progress development studies and approvals on a 1.5Mt and 250,000oz project,
OR
3. As a combination of both.

The Next Phase

 

The Project is ready to complete a Staged 1 JORC Drilling Program & Concept Study, followed by a Staged 2 JORC Drilling Program & Pre-Feasibility Study supported by a JORC Resource Statement.


The priority objectives that follow support the overall Company Strategy and aim to achieve development status and to maximise enterprise value for the structural mapping on the Tornado, Holmes and Cyclone prospects, and include:


  • Mineralogy Study on Tornado and Holmes.
  • Stage 1 JORC Drilling (450m) on Tornado and Holmes to:

– complete drilling to a depth of 25m to prove up a 1,500,000t Indicated and Inferred Resource and approximately 200,000oz
(250,000oz equivalent including value of antimony), and

– determine oxidised, transition and fresh ore horizons.

  • Metallurgy test work to optimize the recovery process:

– maximise the flotation top size to 600micron,

– split feed process (<38um < 150um <600um) to maximise recovery, and

– heap leach option to be assessed as a low cost, small scale alternative.

  • For the Holmes prospect, flotation test work to develop a gold antimony concentrate and possible 2 stage leach process test work incorporating alkaline pre-treatment to confirm ability to recover antimony as a marketable product, followed by conventional leaching to enhance gold recovery.
  • Detailed mine planning on Tornado, and Holmes prospects.
  • Infrastructure layout design, water supply, water management, tailings management, access, haul roads and accommodation.
  • JORC Resource Statement to support PFS or Feasibility Study.
  • JORC Reserve Statement to support PFS Feasibility Study.
  • Capital cost estimate to +/- 30% for PFS.
  • Operating cost estimate to +/- 30% for PFS.

Target Locations and Potentials

 

General Geology of the Project Area

The Hodgkinson Basin Region is host to widespread mineralisation with several major centres of past production, such as the Herberton tin field and the Palmer and Hodgkinson Goldfields.

 

  • Tungsten is widespread, mainly as wolfram, but also as scheelite in association with gold quartz veins.
  • Antimony, as stibnite is a frequent minor associate of gold.
  • Base metals have been found in sub-volcanic settings, such as at the OK mine.

 

Gold within the Hodgkinson Province occurs in several settings including skarn deposits of the Chillagoe area and epigenetic gold-quartz veins in the Hodgkinson and Palmer River Goldfields. The gold-quartz vein deposits are generally hosted within small fissures or larger reverse faults, as laminated veins, stockworks or breccia lodes. It is often associated with some pyrite and arsenopyrite and at times galena and sphalerite, chalcopyrite, or stibnite, which may occur as late overprinting veins.

 

 

There are two main groups of lodes in the Hodgkinson Region:


  1. those parallel to the strike of the bedding but dipping in the opposite direction, and

  2. those at right angles to the strike, dipping to the west.


The lodes consist of quartz stringers or veins of various sizes up to several metres wide that have penetrated the Hodgkinson Formation.


Specific Geology of the Key Project Areas

 

The Hurricane Antimony Project area is situated on a cross extensional fault between the regional Retina and Hurricane faults.

 

The Holmes Anomaly is located to the west of the cross extensional fault adjacent to a late Permian intrusive Rhyolite.

 

  • Data to date suggests that the style of mineralisation of the Holmes Anomaly is that of a quartz gold stibnite hydrothermal system, which is structurally controlled (strike slip + extensional), transpressional orogenic environment, however further investigation is required to confirm this.
  • The main brecciated quartz gold vein system consists of a number of parallel brecciated quartz reefs (exposed) that strike in a south-east direction, are sub-vertical in nature and are perpendicular to the cross extensional fault. The reef cores are noted to contain fault related slickenslides indicating a compressional environment, whereas further away extensional features (veinlets) are noted.
  • Mineralisation is a quartz/gold/stibnite system, with arsenic being an important indicator element. Further investigation is required to gain a full understanding of mineralisation, in particular the range of sulphides. This will assist in determining the best type of remote geophysics to ultilise.
  • The Holmes Anomaly is located to the west of the cross extensional fault adjacent to a late Permian Intrusive Rhyolite.

The Cyclone, Tornado and Monsoon reefs are located near the centre and east of the cross extensional fault. The Waterford Reefs (Typhoon, Hurricane North and Hurricane South) are located to the east of the cross extensional fault along the Hurricane Fault.

 

 

  • Data to date suggests that the style of mineralisation of the Tornado and Monsoon Reefs is that of a Quartz/Gold/Arsenic hydrothermal system, which is structurally controlled (strike slip + extensional), transpressional orogenic environment, however further investigation is required to confirm this.