QMines Limited's latest deep drilling at Mount Mackenzie reveals multiple high-grade gold, silver, and copper zones, with geological signs pointing to a potential porphyry copper-gold system at depth.
- High-grade gold, silver, and copper intersected at North Knoll deposit
- Drilling confirms vertically extensive high sulphidation epithermal system
- Evidence of lithocap and potential porphyry feeder system beneath 300m depth
- 20 drill holes pending assay results, ongoing drilling with two rigs active
- Geological similarities to Mt Carlton system suggest broader regional potential
Deep Drilling Expands Mount Mackenzie’s Mineral Potential
QMines Limited (ASX:QML) has delivered a compelling update from its Mount Mackenzie project in Central Queensland, where deep diamond drilling continues to intersect high-grade gold, silver, and copper mineralisation. The North Knoll deposit, a key focus of the program, now shows multiple stacked zones of mineralisation that remain open both along strike and at depth, significantly enhancing the scale and prospectivity of the system.
The drilling program, designed to test below the historic shallow envelope, has confirmed a vertically extensive high sulphidation epithermal system. Notably, the results include strong gold and silver grades alongside copper, with the presence of enargite; a mineral often associated with advanced argillic alteration; highlighting the system’s complexity and potential.
Lithocap and Porphyry Potential: A Geological Breakthrough
Geological vectors and alteration assemblages observed in the drilling suggest the existence of a lithocap; a near-surface alteration zone typical of porphyry systems; overlying a potential copper-gold porphyry feeder at depth. This interpretation is supported by the presence of pathfinder elements such as antimony, arsenic, and tellurium, as well as advanced argillic minerals like pyrophyllite near the bottom of drill holes.
Exploration Manager Tom Bartschi emphasised the significance of these findings, noting that the system’s vertical continuity and alteration profile align with models of telescoped porphyry-epithermal systems. The comparison to the Mt Carlton system, a well-known high sulphidation epithermal deposit in the Bowen Basin, underscores the broader regional potential and the exciting possibility of discovering a deeper, higher temperature porphyry mineralisation beneath the current drill depth of approximately 300 metres.
Strong Assay Results and Ongoing Drilling
Among the standout intercepts, hole MMDD009 returned 6 metres at 10.47 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 39.7 g/t silver from 118 metres, including a 4-metre section grading 13.23 g/t gold and 42.7 g/t silver. Another hole, MMDD007, delivered the highest copper grade to date with 1 metre at 1.55% copper alongside 3.01 g/t gold and 93.8 g/t silver from 171 metres, confirming that high-grade mineralisation persists at depth.
With twenty holes totaling over 3,000 metres still awaiting assay results and two rigs actively drilling, QMines is poised for a steady flow of news in the coming weeks. The company’s methodical approach, combining geological observations with multi-element geochemistry, is refining the understanding of fluid pathways and permeability traps that control mineralisation.
Strategic Implications and Next Steps
The confirmation of a high sulphidation lithocap and the tantalising evidence of a porphyry feeder system represent a significant step forward for QMines. These findings not only enhance confidence in the Mount Mackenzie project’s scale and continuity but also set a clear path for future exploration. The next logical step is a deep diamond drill hole targeting depths between 700 to 900 metres to test for the transition into quartz-sericite alteration and potential potassic zones characteristic of porphyry systems.
QMines’ broader portfolio, including the Mt Chalmers and Develin Creek deposits, complements this exploration success, positioning the company as a notable player in Queensland’s copper and gold sector. As assays come in and deeper drilling progresses, the market will be watching closely for confirmation of a significant porphyry discovery that could underpin long-term development.
Bottom Line?
Mount Mackenzie’s evolving story is just beginning, deeper drilling could unlock a major porphyry system beneath the high-grade epithermal cap.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the pending assays confirm the continuity and grade of mineralisation at depth?
- Can the planned deep drill hole validate the presence of a porphyry copper-gold feeder system?
- How will these results influence QMines’ resource estimates and development timeline?