The Mount Isa region is recognised as one of the world’s premier mineral provinces. Exploration in the region has produced a number of significant mineral discoveries in recent years including iron-oxide copper gold deposits, uranium deposits, silver-lead-zinc deposits and complex base metal rare earth element associated deposits.

The Mount Isa Mineral Province is recognised as one of the most significant IOCG provinces in the world. Numerous IOCG discoveries have been made in the Mount Isa region over the recent past including Selwyn, Eloise, Osborne, Mt Roseby, Ernest Henry, Trekelano, Swan, Amethyst Castle and Rocklands. The IOCG deposit class also includes the giant Olympic Dam deposit in South Australia*.

Exploration for IOCG systems in Australia is primarily concerned with the use of remote geophysical methods to “prospect” under cover for iron oxide alteration typically associated with the deposits. At a local scale the recognition of characteristic zones of hydrothermal mineral alteration can be important as an indicator of proximity to IOCG systems.

Within the project area Proterozoic aged target rocks generally outcrop or are covered by only a thin layer of younger sedimentary cover. For this reason historical exploration has been more intense than in covered areas to the north. Exploration targets have been identified through a review of historical data sets to identify anomalies in favourable geological settings where prior exploration has been inadequate or incomplete.

Copper mineralisation is generally located within NW-trending fault systems lying between the regional-scale Mount Remarkable and Wonga Faults. Immediate opportunities present to explore for extensions to these historical copper workings via step-out drilling into areas of shallow cover.