Cosmo Metals has initiated a systematic soil sampling campaign at its Plunkett & Cassidy antimony prospect within the extensive Antimony Gully Trend at Bingara, NSW, following rock chip assays up to 10.3% antimony. The program aims to delineate mineralised strike extensions and prioritise drill targets in a region hosting Larvotto Resources’ Hillgrove deposit.
- Systematic soil sampling underway at Plunkett & Cassidy prospect
- Previous rock chips returned up to 10.3% antimony
- Program targets strike extensions and parallel lodes under cover
- Antimony Gully Trend spans over 8km within Bingara Project
- Sampling results to guide drill target prioritisation
Soil Sampling Targets High-Grade Antimony Zones
Cosmo Metals Ltd (ASX:CMO) has kicked off a methodical soil sampling program at its Plunkett & Cassidy prospect, part of the +8km Antimony Gully Trend within the 484.1 km2 Bingara Project in northern New South Wales. This follows rock chip sampling that revealed impressive antimony grades reaching 10.3% Sb in quartz vein material, underscoring the prospect's potential as a significant antimony-gold target.
The program involves collecting approximately 380 soil samples across a 2km strike length on a 50m by 100m grid, utilising mechanised auger drilling to penetrate shallow cover disturbed by farming. Immediate in-field pXRF analysis will provide elemental data, while select samples will undergo laboratory testing to capture elements not reliably detected by pXRF. This approach aims to map mineralisation extensions and identify parallel lodes concealed beneath shallow cover, setting the stage for targeted drilling.
Geological Context and Mineralisation Characteristics
The Antimony Gully Trend, identified via detailed LiDAR surveys and digital elevation models, aligns with the northeast-trending Gineroi Fault, a splay of the regional Peel Fault. Historic workings and recent surface sampling at Plunkett & Cassidy have delineated subparallel lodes spaced over 100m apart, with strike lengths up to 1.2km and widths exceeding 10m. Notably, the western area hosts extensive historic antimony mines with quartz breccia outcrops spanning roughly 90m wide, suggesting multiple mineralised shoots.
Elevated arsenic levels across the prospect hint at a sizeable mineralised system, with the zone between eastern and western lodes largely obscured by shallow cover. The presence of vuggy and drusy quartz textures, alongside a supportive Sb-Au-As-Hg geochemical signature, indicates the current outcrops may represent the upper levels of an antimony-gold structure, implying the potential for richer mineralisation at depth.
Strategic Positioning Near a World-Class Deposit
Located in the same geological region as Larvotto Resources’ (ASX:LRV) Hillgrove Antimony-Gold Mine, the Bingara Project benefits from a proven mineralised corridor. Cosmo’s Managing Director Ian Prentice emphasised the significance of the systematic soil sampling as a first for the prospect, designed to prioritise drill targets within a high-conviction area recognised by the NSW Mines Department as having the highest antimony-gold prospectivity in the southern New England Orogen.
Prentice noted the potential for increasing antimony and gold grades with depth, mirroring the mineralisation style at Hillgrove, and highlighted the ongoing efforts to secure approvals for drilling at the Mona Mine within the adjacent Bingara VMS Trend, further expanding Cosmo’s exploration footprint in the region.
Next Steps and Exploration Outlook
Completion of the soil sampling program will be followed by geological mapping and ground truthing of anomalous zones, feeding into a refined drill targeting strategy. The work at Plunkett & Cassidy will also serve as a template for exploring other antimony prospects along the Antimony Gully Trend.
This systematic approach marks a critical phase in Cosmo Metals’ discovery strategy, aiming to unlock the potential of a largely underexplored mineral system with significant historical indications but limited modern exploration. The results of this program will be closely watched as they will dictate the scale and focus of upcoming drill campaigns.
Bottom Line?
Soil sampling results at Plunkett & Cassidy will be pivotal in defining drill targets and testing the depth potential of a promising antimony-gold system.
Questions in the middle?
- Will soil sampling confirm the extent of concealed parallel lodes beneath shallow cover?
- Can drilling replicate or exceed the high-grade antimony and gold signatures seen at surface?
- How will Cosmo Metals prioritise targets along the broader +8km Antimony Gully Trend following this program?