Highlights

• Tempest Minerals (ASX:TEM) has completed drilling work at Meleya that was planned for 2022
• In total, 91 holes for 7,336 metres of drilling (diamond, reverse circulation and aircore) has been completed
• During the drilling campaign, strong alteration and minor sulphides were intersected.
• TEM expects to receive assay results in the first quarter of 2023.

ASX-listed mineral exploration company Tempest Minerals Limited (ASX:TEM) has announced the completion of drilling activities at the Meleya Project for the year 2022.

During the first phase of drilling that had begun in September, numerous drill rigs and drilling methods were deployed. In total, 2,202 metres of aircore, 4,069 metres of reverse circulation, and 1,065 metres of diamond drilling have been completed in this campaign for a total of 7,336 metres.

Tempest Minerals conducted the drilling program with an objective of testing the Master target, Clover target and a broad, shallow pattern across the central Meleya Project area.

According to the company, several zones of strong alteration and weak mineralisation were hit in holes during drilling. It is expected that the assay results will be received in the first quarter of 2023 (Q1 2023).

Overview of Meleya Project

Meleya Project Drilling Program Overview (Image source: TEM announcement)

A part of Tempest Minerals’ flagship Yalgoo Portfolio, the Meleya Project stretches over an area of more than 900km². The company holds around 25% of the active exploration leases regionally as the interpreted Yalgoo Greenstone Supracrustal unit spans over 4000km².

According to the company, the target zones at Meleya represent one of the most exciting greenfields base and precious metal upside exploration opportunities in the industry today.

Earlier this year, Tempest Minerals had drilled the first 2 holes into the new province at the Orion Target. Presence of significant mineralisation was indicated, and the increased regional potential was highlighted after the drilling and related follow-up work.

The second larger drilling campaign was initiated by the Company in September 2022 with the purpose of testing two coincident anomalous geochemistry and geophysical (magnetic) targets. Also, a wide-spaced shallow regional percussion drilling program was also started.

Meleya Project Overview

Master Drilling
One diamond drillhole has already been completed for 427.1 meter at the Master target. Minor sulphides and strong alteration were encountered throughout the drillhole. At the southern end of the project relative to drilling done at Orion, WARDH74 has also provided important stratigraphic context.

Clover Drilling
The Clover Target is a magnetic low stratigraphic sequence located 2.5km to the southeast of the Orion target. One diamond hole (WARDH75) for 637.1 meter was completed into the Clover target. This was complemented with a number of RC holes as part of the regional program.

Throughout the diamond hole, thick sequences of highly altered mafic geology and minor sulphides were observed. This may represent a previously unrecognised geological sequence within the mineralised Meleya Belt or potentially a strongly altered and ‘demagnetised’ dyke. Also, zones of strong alteration and minor sulphides were detected at multiple locations downhole.

Clover Section
The geological observations demonstrate that numerous sulphide and fluid altered domains were intersected through the section. An interpreted east plunging zone of disseminated sulphide (pyrite 0.5%) and silica was observed in holes WARDH135 (between 150-200m downhole) and WARDH136 (bifurcated from 58-86m and 133-175m downhole).

Originally, skarnification of the greenstone around the intrusive mafic was reported in hole WARDH75, drillhole WARDH139 intersected a similar zone of alteration with associated ultra trace sulphide (pyrite 0.25%) at the uphole contact of the mafic intrusive at 40-43m. Another sulphide altered skarn was noted on hole WARDH146 at 82-90m within the Big Bell suite.

Regional Drilling

WARDH156 75-77m Mafic schist with disseminated sulphides inc. trace sphaelerite associated with silica and chlorite overprinting with greater interval spanning 68-77m.

The regional drilling aims to offer the opportunity to correlate geology from surface mapping and deep diamond holes across large distances and provide targets for follow-up drilling.

Drilling was done on nominal 500m x 500m spacing and the campaign in the fourth quarter of 2022 (Q4 2022) - an area of about 4km x 4km of the central Meleya Belt. This included ~6,269 metres of aircore and reverse circulation drilling. It marks a small fraction of the Meleya Project and phase 1 of a number of possible campaigns.

According to TEM, sulphide and visible mineralised intervals were logged across all drill lines, the most significant zone on the most northern line reflected a unit similar to the ~20m Zn enhanced unit stratigraphically correlated between Orion Holes WARDH72 and WARDH73.

This zone encompassed an interval from 68 to 77 metres downhole of WARDH156 (proximal to 2 ERP survey points) and recorded to have an average of 1% pyrite with a pervasive silica and chlorite halo. Also, trace grains of sphaelerite have been identified.

TEM shares were trading at AU$0.025 at  14/12/2022, 05:30:47 PM AEDT.