Project Overview:
The Bluebird discovery is located within the Company's 100% owned Barkly Project on the eastern edge of the Tennant Creek Mineral Field in the Northern Territory. The project lies within a 5km gravity-defined corridor containing multiple copper-gold targets. The Tennant Creek field has historically produced 5.5Moz of gold and 700kt of copper between 1934 and 2005.
The mineralization is part of a larger 1.5km gravity-ironstone target zone, with recent drilling suggesting potential for mineralization to continue from surface to more than 400m depth and link with Bluebird East over an 800m strike length.
Program Details:
The current program comprised 17 holes for 3,886m of drilling. Results are pending from five holes testing for Bluebird repeats along strike. Two holes at Bluebird East intersected visible copper mineralization, including a 61m zone of hematite alteration with 14m of strong copper mineralization in BBDD0048 and a 24m zone with 8m of copper mineralization in BBDD0043.
Understanding These Results:
The latest intersection extends and confirms continuity of the high-grade massive copper sulphide zone, which remains open at depth. The presence of massive chalcopyrite with grades up to 17% copper represents exceptional grade tenor for this style of mineralization.
The results demonstrate potential for the mineralization to link between Bluebird and Bluebird East, suggesting a significantly larger mineralized system than previously recognized.
Management Commentary:
Tennant Minerals CEO Vincent Algar stated:
“This latest exceptional intersection of copper with gold at Bluebird has extended and confirmed the continuity of the high-grade massive copper sulphide zone, which remains open at depth.”
“It follows the intersection of significant visible copper mineralisation in two wide-spaced holes at the Bluebird East discovery, which indicates potential for the Bluebird mineralisation to continue from surface to more than 400m depth and link with Bluebird East over a strike-length of more than 800m.”
“Every hole we drill gives us more encouragement that Bluebird is an exceptional emerging coppergold discovery which will continue to grow with further exploration.”
“We can now look forward to launching our next drilling program, aiming to define and extend the enlarged mineralised footprint and define a maiden Mineral Resource to support a stand-alone mining and processing operation to help meet growing global demand for copper and gold.”
Next Steps & Catalysts:
Metallurgical testwork is currently underway on bulk composite samples from BBDD0045 and BBDD0046, with results expected in March. The program includes flotation tests for copper sulphide recovery and gravity concentration tests for native copper and free gold.
The company is planning a new drilling program to further test and define the Bluebird East discovery and extend the main high-grade zone to the west and at depth, aiming to produce a maiden copper-gold Mineral Resource.
Commodity Outlook:
Copper continues to be a critical metal for global electrification and renewable energy transition. The project's location in the Northern Territory, a tier-1 mining jurisdiction with established infrastructure, positions it well to potentially help meet growing global demand for copper and gold.
Conclusion:
The latest results from Bluebird demonstrate significant expansion potential of the high-grade copper-gold system. With mineralization remaining open and metallurgical studies underway, the project is advancing toward a maiden resource estimate to support a potential stand-alone mining operation.
Sources:
Tennant Minerals Drill Result Announcement
Additional Figures
.png)
