Tempest Minerals (ASX:TEM) delineates high-priority targets on Meleya

Highlights

• Tempest Minerals’ DHEM Survey on two Orion drill holes confirmed additional mineralised zones (announced on 8 September 2022)
• The company delineated a sizable >200m zinc-enriched zone with copper and lead anomalies
• Multiple stratigraphic positions hosting mineralisation are confirmed by the survey along the 50km Meleya Belt
• The survey aids in identifying potential targets for future shallow drilling at the project

Tempest Minerals Limited (ASX:TEM) wrapped up the Down Hole Electromagnetic (DHEM) Survey on two drill holes at the Meleya Project in Western Australia. The company also received the remaining assay results for the project and is delighted to identify thick, highly anomalous zones.

The latest results from the DHEM Survey and the assay results are in line with the results obtained from the core logging. The geophysical exploration and the drilling data have led to the identification of multiple highly mineralised zones and support an exploration model that sulphide mineralisation is detectable and specific target horizons can host mineralisation.

The company is confident that the latest findings from the project could help in prioritising further precious and base metal drill targets across the belt.

Image source: TEM update, 8 September 2022

DHEM Survey

For conducting a Downhole EM survey, drill holes are cased and the probe is wired down the hole to collect data, especially for sulphide mineralisation. The DHEM survey provides greater spatial resolution than airborne surveys.

Tempest selected two holes – WARDH72 and WARDH73 - to conduct the survey. The results have defined the upper and lower zones of elevated magnetite and sulphides. Also, these two zones coincide with the interpreted stratigraphic boundaries from geological logs.

The data interpretation of the DHEM survey has confirmed that the upper EM response in both the holes is primarily from zones with banded magnetite and disseminated sulphides. The lower response is interpreted to be from copper and iron sulphide-containing zones.

Image source: TEM update, 8 September 2022

The geological logging indicates that the stratigraphic horizons have modelled a subvertical copper sulphide zone with the lower zone. The zone can be traced up-dip to surface positions. The company is planning to drill test this prospective stratigraphic position along the strike.

Tempest believes that the DHEM survey has significantly increased its understanding of mineralisation on the project and the findings could be utilised to prioritise upcoming drilling campaigns at the tenement area.

In addition to all this, Tempest has discovered zinc-sulphide mineralisation in drill core samples, a shot in the arm for the company’s exploration team. The ore for zinc-sulphide, sphalerite, is difficult to identify in the initial stages of exploration.

As sphalerite is neither electrically conductive nor magnetic, it cannot be detected using EM surveys. Drill core analysis is the only means through which, it could be identified during the early stages of the project.

Some other significant drill intercepts from the assay results are as below:

image source: © 2022 Kalkine Media® Data source: TEM update, 8 September 2022

Tempest’s Meleya Belt prospectivity has increased as a result of current and previous exploration work. The DHEM survey has successfully determined the upper and lower responses. Although the company has modelled relatively small-scale EM responses so far, they coincide with geological boundaries and logged mineralisation zones. They subsequently provide targets for the entire project and are currently the subject of a systematic evaluation and drilling targeting.

The finding of numerous mineralised downhole intercepts from the geophysical and drilling operations has established the project to have high prospectivity with significant mineralisation.

What’s next?

Tempest to continue its regional exploration over the area, including the geophysical, geochemical, petrographic analysis and project-wide drilling operations. The company is planning an RC drilling program for testing the Clover target. Also, preparations are underway to carry out aircore drilling on the project.