CELSIUS RECEIVES FURTHER HIGH-GRADE COPPERGOLD RESULTS FROM MCB PROJECT
HIGHLIGHTS
- Continuity of high-grade core confirmed with assay results from MCB-034, including 74m @ 0.97% Cu and 0.14g/t gold from 353m down hole.
- Total intersection of 607m @ 0.44% copper and 0.04g/t gold from 26m down hole.
- The two drill holes completed to date (MCB-033 and MCB-034) have confirmed the continuity of the large-scale copper mineralisation in addition to providing greater definition to the higher-grade central core at MCB.
- The drilling results continue to improve confidence in the existing MCB Mineral Resource estimate.
- Drilling of MCB-036 has now commenced, which in addition to planned drill hole MCB-035, are aimed at defining deeper extensions to the large-scale copper mineralisation at MCB.
Celsius Resources Limited (“Celsius” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce its Philippine subsidiary Makilala Mining Company, Inc. (“MMCI”) has received high-grade copper-gold assay results from the Company’s second drill hole, which was recently completed at the MCB Copper-Gold Project (“MCB”), located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
The results from hole MCB-034 confirm the position of a central core of high grade mineralisation, similar to MCB-033, and has increased confidence for this portion of the Mineral Resource.
“Celsius is delighted with the excellent results received from the second hole MCB-034, which like those of the first hole MCB-033, provide a great deal of confidence in the quality and scale of the copper-gold mineralisation at our flagship MCB project, and in particular the scale and quality of the high grade core that is the focus of the current Scoping Study.” said Celsius Resources Executive Director Blair Sergeant.
MCB Copper-Gold Project
The MCB Copper-Gold Project (MCB) is located in the Cordillera Administrative Region in the Philippines, approximately 320 kilometers north of Manila (Figure 1). It is the flagship project within the Makilala portfolio which also contains other key prospects in the pipeline for permit renewal/extension.
A maiden JORC compliant Mineral Resource was declared for the MCB Project in January 2021, comprising 313.8 million tonnes @ 0.48% copper and 0.15 g/t gold, for 1.5 million tonnes of contained copper and 1.47 million ounces of gold.
Within the above, is a high-grade core of 93.7 million tonnes @ 0.80% copper and 0.28 g/t gold, currently the focus of the Scoping Study. The high-grade core comprises 79.8 million tonnes @ 0.83% copper and 0.30 g/t gold in the Indicated category and 13.9 million tonnes @ 0.59% copper and 0.11 g/t gold in the Inferred category (refer ASX announcement of 12 January 2021).
Results From Drilling At MCB
Makilala Mining commenced drilling activities at MCB in February 2021. The planned drilling program and current status of this drilling, is designed to achieve a number of key milestones, including:
- increase confidence in the high-grade portion of the Mineral Resource – now completed
- test depth extensions to the high-grade section of the copper gold mineralisation – in progress
- test further strike extensions to the MCB deposit across a defined fault which appears to offset the copper-gold mineralisation on its western boundary.
The geological setting for the MCB copper-gold mineralisation is typical of a porphyry copper + gold + moly deposit. The mineralisation and associated alteration exist across the contact between a genetically related intrusive body (tonalite) and the surrounding host rock material. In most cases the surrounding host rock is an older mafic volcanic rock (see Figures 3 and 4).
Results from the first drill hole, MCB-033, identified broad intervals of altered intrusive tonalite rocks and altered basaltic host rocks in association with the copper-gold mineralisation. Drill hole MCB-033 passed very close to the contact position between the basalt and the tonalite (based on the surrounding drill hole information) but did not intersect the tonalite rock (Figure 3).
Results from the second drill hole, MCB-034 (subject of this announcement) identified copper mineralisation as shallow as 26m down hole, extending all the way down to 633m. These defined extents to the copper mineralisation are broadly in line with the surrounding historical drilling information and typically defined by a lower cut-off grade of approximately 0.2% Cu.
There are several higher-grade intervals, including a well-defined high-grade core, which is above a cut grade of approximately 0.5% copper. This includes an intersection of 74.0m at 0.97% copper & 0.14g/t gold, with an estimated true width of ~ 58m. The significant intersections based on the assay results received from MCB-034 are detailed in Table 1.
Status of Drillhole #3 - MCB-036
The third drill hole of the current program at MCB (MCB-036) is underway and was at a depth of 60.0m as of the date of this release. Drill hole MCB-036 is one of two drill holes (including planned hole MCB-035) planned to test for deeper extensions to the high-grade copper-gold mineralisation at MCB.
Scoping Study Update
The preparation of the Scoping Study continues to progress well and remains on track with a target completion towards the end of Q3 2021. Major components of the Study are currently ongoing with the status of some those work streams as follows:
- Mine Plan and Design Trade-Off Study – 100% complete.
- Infrastructure Requirement/Layout – 95% complete.
- Paste Backfill Study – 20% complete awaiting results from Comminution test work
- Metallurgical Test Work – 20% complete – Anticipated completion – 3rd Week of August.
- Process Plant Design – 20% complete awaiting results from Comminution test work
- Dam Conceptual Design – 10% complete awaiting technical information from Paste Backfill and Comminution Studies.
Social and Environmental Baseline Studies
In compliance with the MCB exploration permit conditions, field data gathering and laboratory analysis for the Social and Environmental Baseline Studies commenced this month in partnership with the Kalinga State University. The results of these studies will feed into the development of the project’s future environmental and social impact management plans along with other further studies which are essential to the project design and approvals. The studies cover socio-economic, pedology, terrestrial and aquatic resources, as well as climatology with various University research teams involved and will be progressively completed by November 2021. Water monitoring studies have already been conducted during the past exploration activities and will supplement the overall environmental study program for MCB.
This announcement has been authorised by the Board of Directors of Celsius Resources Limited.
Celsius Resources Contact Information
Level 2, 22 Mount Street
Perth WA 6000
PO Box 7054
Cloisters Square Perth WA 6850
P: +61 8 6188 8181
F: +61 8 6188 8182
E: info@celsiusresources.com.au
www.celsiusresources.com.au
Media contact
David Tasker / Colin Jacoby
Chapter One Advisors
M: +61 433 112 936 / +61 439 980 359
E: dtasker@chapteroneadvisors.com.au / cjacoby@chapteroneadvisors.com.au
Competent Persons Statement
Information in this report relating to Exploration Results is based on information compiled, reviewed and assessed by Mr. Steven Olsen, who is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr. Olsen is a consultant to Celsius Resources and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined by the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Mr. Olsen consents to the inclusion of the data in the form and context in which it appears.
Appendix 1: The following tables are provided to ensure compliance with the JORC Code (2012) requirements for the reporting of Exploration Results for the MCB Project
SECTION 1:
Sampling Techniques and Data
(Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections.)
Criteria | JORC Code explanation | Commentary |
---|---|---|
Sampling techniques |
|
|
Drilling techniques |
|
|
Drill sample recovery |
|
|
Logging |
|
|
Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation |
|
|
Quality of assay data and laboratory tests |
|
|
Verification of sampling and assaying |
|
|
Location of data points |
|
|
Data spacing and distribution |
|
|
Orientation of data in relation to geological structure |
|
|
Sample security |
|
|
Audits or reviews |
|
|
SECTION 2:
Reporting of Exploration Results
(Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section.)
Criteria | JORC Code explanation | Commentary |
---|---|---|
Mineral tenement and land tenure status |
|
|
Exploration done by other parties |
|
|
Geology |
|
|
Drill hole Information |
|
|
Data aggregation methods |
|
|
Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths |
|
|
Diagrams |
|
|
Balanced Reporting |
|
|
Other substantive exploration data |
|
|
Further work |
|
|