Emerging gold developer Corvette Resources has joined forces with CSIRO in a collaborative study which is said to improve the geological understanding of the Albany-Fraser gold belt, and the Corvette mineralisation.
The study will use exploration technology from CSIRO to analyse drill samples from the Corvette’s recent drilling programmes, to build advanced 3D models of the mineralisation on the Plumridge project.
According to Corvette Resources, this will advance understanding of the geology, geochemistry, alteration, structure and mineralisation at the project, and the under-explored Albany-Fraser gold province.
Corvette’s Plumridge project covers an area of granted exploration licences east of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
The 2,200 km2 project is situated on the margin of the Albany Fraser Province and the interpreted reworked transitional margin of the Yilgarn Block, which hosts the 5 Moz Tropicana-Havana gold deposit, discovered by the Anglogold Ashanti/Independence JV partners.
The CSIRO project will be part of the Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship program, and will work with the WA Centre of Excellence for 3D Mineral Mapping (C3DMM).
The project is expected to be completed in four to five months, but information will flow within five weeks of project commencement.
The program will incorporate hyperspectral drill chip logging system, portable XRF, and data generated by the company.
Analysis will be augmented by mineralogical analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Electron Microprobe techniques. This information will be integrated in order to build a 3D model of the Corvette mineralization.
CSIRO Exploration and Mining senior geochemist Dr James Cleverley said, “The Plumridge project offers us the chance to apply cutting edge technology, and analyse Corvette Resources data, to start to build an integrated 3D mineral system model for this emerging area of the Albany-Fraser mineral district.”
Corvette Resources Managing Director Patrick McManus said the study would contribute to an improved understanding of what was an emerging gold province.
“It will improve our understanding of the gold mineralization within Plumridge, and more particularly of the Corvette prospect,” McManus said.
“We will be able to capitalise on the resources and skills of CSIRO and C3DMM, and apply advanced technology to better target the RC and diamond drill stages of our ongoing exploration programme,” McManus said.