Paterson Province – WA

Paterson Province WA

The Paterson Province which is home to the tier one Telfer gold mine and large Nifty copper mine has come into renewed prominence with several recent Intrusion-Related Gold-Copper discoveries including those at Winu, Ngapakarra, Havieron and Minyari.

Importantly, the Winu, Ngapakarra and Havieron discoveries are associated with a weak magnetic response, evident in the vertical gradient regional magnetic imagery as a low amplitude, magnetic bulls eye target.  These low amplitude anomalies are thought to be sourced from hydrothermal pyrrhotite at Havieron and hydrothermal pyrrhotite or weak magnetite alteration in the halo to Winu and Ngapakarra.

Following these new discoveries innovative mineral deposit models are emerging that highlight the geological and geophysical diversity of Intrusion-Related Gold-Copper systems and their potential for very high-value deposit types.  As such, deep covered magnetic and gravity targets once thought to be low-priority or sub-economic targets are now in play for high-grade gold and/or copper-rich systems.

Yarrie Copper-Gold (OZ Minerals Funded)

Advanced processing of new airborne electromagnetic and magnetic data recently flown over Red Metal’s Yarrie project has enabled the interpretation of several high-priority geophysical targets for follow-up exploration (refer to Red Metal ASX announcement dated 19 April 2022).

Of particular interest are two Havieron-like, magnetic bulls eye targets YE01 and YE02 located just 45 kilometres along trend from Rio Tinto’s Winu copper and gold discovery.  Regionally, these targets appear to occur along the same crustal structure that controls the Winu, Ngapakarra, Minyari and Havieron deposits and are situated along the same high gravity ridge as Winu.

Preparations for heritage surveying underway.