⚒️ Southern Hemisphere Mining Limited reports significant work-fronts have commenced to advance the Llahuin Copper-Gold Project towards mining study stage as listed in the highlights below.
This work is part of the process to substantially increase the copper and gold endowment of the Llahuin Copper-Gold Project from the current Independent Resource Estimate of 680,000t Copper equivalent (measured indicated and inferred categories done in 2013), and will incorporate all drilling and re-interpretation, re-logging, etc done since then, and include results from the upcoming drill program.
Figure 1. Location of Southern Hemisphere Mining Projects in Chile, South America
HIGHLIGHTS
- Significant new results from grid rock chip sampling include;
-
- 7.38 g/t Au and 8.13 g/t Ag in 24LHR000602
- 0.59 g/t Au and 1.44 g/t Ag in 24LHR000596
- 0.22% Cu in 24LHR000574
- 156 new rock chips collected, and 73 historical drillhole pulp samples were selected for assay by four acid digest and ICPMS for multi-element with low-level detection to refine 3D Modelling refining Curiosity and Cerro-Ferro Deeps drill targets
- The Curiosity target at the Southern Porphyry and Cerro-Ferro Deeps are large, deeper, compelling copper-gold targets for drill testing
- Sampling of the Santa Maria Gold Mine adit, directly above the Curiosity target, identifies a high sulfidation epithermal system, supporting the interpretation of an extensive porphyry system at depth at Curiosity
- A tender process is underway for a planned 5,000m drilling program to increase copper-gold resources, targeting higher grade areas over the large 2km strike length Cerro-Ferro system, and possible pre-collar for deep targets
- Metallurgical testwork consultants engaged to advance prior testwork at Llahuin in 2013.
- A large 10m composite sampling program of all pulps from prior drilling by pXRF for multielement analysis identified numerous zones of elevated molybdenum content which were unassayed in original drilling. These samples have been selected and have been sent for assay for inclusion in the pending resource update.
- Hyland Geological and Mining Consultants have been engaged to commence a Mineral Resource Estimate update for H1 2025 incorporating all drilling and results since the last JORC Resource in 2013 and to include results from the upcoming drill program
Figure 2. 3D plan view showing geochemical footprint models thematically colour scaled from blue (moderate probability) through to reds and magentas (high probability).
Results Discussion
The Company continues to engage Fathom Geophysics to apply its proprietary 3D porphyry footprint modelling method on recently collected rock chip and drillhole pulp data at Llahuin. This method uses eleven elements (As (arsenic), Bi (bismuth), Cu (copper), Li (lithium), Mo (molybdenum), Sb (antimony), Se (selenium), Sn (tin), Te (tellurium), Tl (thallium), and W (tungsten), to map idealised deposit model zonation and thresholds based on the Halley et al., (2015) geochemical model. Deliverables from this work are a set of wireframe shells representing probabilities of the presence of a porphyry system at a given point in 3D space.
Figure 3 below outlines the recent rock chip program. It shows the approximate 200m sample spacing to further refine the model for drill targeting. The aim is to reach a point where the models de-risk drilling as much as possible for these deep, high impact and very large copper-gold targets at Curiosity and Cerro-Ferro Deeps.
Figure 3. Grid Sampling Locations- Rock chips
A further 135 rock chip samples were collected in the Santa Maria adit and the assay results show it has a high sulfidation epithermal signature with elevated Au, As, Cu, Ag, Bi, Cd, Mo, Sb, Te, Zn and S (Refer Table 1).
The epithermal nature of the surface veins further strengthens the deep target when looking at the generalised model of a porphyry system shown below in Figure 4, The yellow circle highlighting the high sulfidation epithermal veins at Santa Maria and the red circle would coincide with the deeper deposit footprint model target shown in Figure 5. This target top is 550m vertically below the Santa Maria epithermal gold system. It has a pipe like geometry with a diameter of approximately 1km. This extends to approximately 2km depth, where the probability values increase, and the model becomes significantly larger in aerial extent as shown below in Figure 4.
Figure 4. Porphyry styles and geometry (Sillitoe 2010) with Santa Maria system highlighted in YELLOW and the Fathom deep porphyry target in RED.
Figure 5. Cross section of Southern Porphyry, showing thematically coloured footprint models, drone magnetic inversion models in silvery grey, and existing drilling in grey.
Fathom Soil Model with the Curiosity target and the location of the Santa Maria Adit – epithermal vein samples above the Fathom porphyry target.
Table 1. Santa Maria Adit Sample Statistics
The Company has invited tenders from four Chilean drilling companies. The program will initially be RC up to 250m depth, targeting resource expansion, and possible pre-collars for deep targets. Subsequent deeper diamond drilling will, where possible, use historical holes in the right location optimising existing sunk costs and substantially reduce drilling costs of deeper holes. Sedgman has been engaged to conduct metallurgical test work on several key representative samples from within the current Mineral Resource and advance on prior work done in 2013.
Hyland Geological and Mining Consultants are engaged to complete a Mineral Resource Estimate update for the Llahuin Copper-Gold Project. This will be the first work of its kind at Llahuin since 2013. A significant amount of new data by re-assaying existing drilling and new drilling has been completed since the 2013 Mineral Resource Estimate to advance the project towards mining studies.
The Full PDF is available below.
COMPETENT PERSON / QUALIFIED PERSON STATEMENT: The information in this report that relates to copper and gold exploration results for the Company’s Projects is based on information compiled by Mr Adam Anderson, who is a Member of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and The Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr Anderson 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 in the 2012 Edition of the “Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves”. Mr Anderson is a consultant for the Company and consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
News Release
Date: 18 July 2024 | ASX Code: SUH | Frankfurt Exchange: NK4
===
Southern Hemisphere Mining Limited is an experienced minerals explorer in Chile, South America.
Chile is the world’s leading copper producing country and one of the most prospective regions of the world for major new copper discoveries. The Company’s projects include the Llahuin Porphyry Copper-Gold-Moly Project, the Lago Lithium Exploration Project, and the Los Pumas Manganese EV Battery Project, all of which were discovered by the Company.
For the latest information about the Company – please visit our Latest News and Corporate Profile pages. We are also on LinkedIn and Twitter (X).
